Warden, Claire (2007) ‘The shadows fly before the rush of light’: expressionist experimentation and political efficacy in Ewan MacColl’s ‘The Other Animals’. New Theatre Quarterly, 23 (4). pp. 317-325. ISSN 0266-464X
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It has generally been assumed that the Expressionist movement had little noticeable impact on British theatre. This paper suggests that in the plays of Ewan MacColl (and in particular his 'The Other Animals' of 1948) there is a discernible challenge to this assumption. In order to advocate a specific political position, MacColl took the conventions of Expressionism and developed a highly engaged, artistically innovative theatrical aesthetic that could tackle socio-political inequalities and the suppression of the dissident voice. Through linguistic experiment, episodic structure, representational characters, and a focus on the individual mind, the playwright challenges the audience to confront class injustice and hegemonic tyranny.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | It has generally been assumed that the Expressionist movement had little noticeable impact on British theatre. This paper suggests that in the plays of Ewan MacColl (and in particular his 'The Other Animals' of 1948) there is a discernible challenge to this assumption. In order to advocate a specific political position, MacColl took the conventions of Expressionism and developed a highly engaged, artistically innovative theatrical aesthetic that could tackle socio-political inequalities and the suppression of the dissident voice. Through linguistic experiment, episodic structure, representational characters, and a focus on the individual mind, the playwright challenges the audience to confront class injustice and hegemonic tyranny. |
| Keywords: | Theatre Workshop, Joan Littlewood |
| Subjects: | W Creative Arts and Design > W440 Theatre studies |
| Divisions: | College of Arts > Faculty of Media, Humanities & Performance > Lincoln School of Performing Arts |
| Depositing User: | Claire Warden |
| Date Deposited: | 31 May 2012 08:54 |
| Last Modified: | 31 May 2012 08:54 |
| URI: | http://eprints.lincoln.ac.uk/id/eprint/5765 |
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