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A HILARIOUS HOMAGE - THE THREEPENNY OPERA @ THE NATIONAL THEATRE *****

kellystewart3
Sep 26, 2016
2 min read

For any aspiring actor, director or writer – whether it be theatre or film – a knowledge of Bertolt Brecht is vital.

‘If you’re looking for escapism, you’ve got the wrong show…’

Brecht defines the very essence of his masterpiece ‘The Threepenny Opera’ in that line, and sets up the audience with the expectation to expect nothing, and to simply watch.

'The Threepenny Opera' is loud, dynamic and entertaining as ever in the National Theatre’s latest production, and if you’re looking for a 101 on how to stage a Brechtian Epic Theatre production – look no further! This cast and crew capture exactly what it means to create Epic Theatre; to make the audience think.

Definitely a show for more of our older readers and students, ‘The Threepenny Opera’ follows notorious thief Macheath (Mac the Knife - played in this production by the wonderful Rory Kinnear) and his multiple relationships, and escapades with the authorities. ‘The Threepenny Opera’ oozes crime, comedy and crudeness.

“You may proclaim, good sirs, your fine philosophy / But till you feed us, right and wrong can wait!”

For anyone that knows the history of Brecht, you can indeed see how his text reflects Marxist thought in the Nationals production. By criticising the superstructure of bourgeois ideology—specifically family, science, charity, and religion – despite being set in Victorian England, the plays context of 1920’s Germany is ever-present. The National therefore creates a production that is both new and fresh, while also true to its origins – a fantastic homage to one of the most influential theatre practitioners in history.