Comments on: Mother Courage and Her Children

By: The Beastie

The Beastie — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:15:07 +0000

It sounds an amazing production, and a lot of people here don't seem to understand that it was performed exactly how Brecht would have wanted, the use of verfrumdungseffekt. Lighting rigs, stage hands and other theatre goings on is all part of the exact practitioner philosophy that Brecht created. And people seem to think performers and theatre crew are super human when it comes to things like this, technical difficulties are part and parcel of it all!

By: Stephen

Stephen — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:50:56 +0000

Saw it on the 25th Oct.

Great production. I can’t understand why people fuss about seeing stagehands on the set. So what? One could validly say that it underlines the chaos of the 30 years war!

Loved the music too. Some people seem to forget just how much Brecht wove music into his plays – not just Weill’s – and not ‘easy listening’ either.

The fireball was most impessive – I felt the heat in the Circle! It certainly wasn’t at the end of the play either.

By: Ian

Ian — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:18:34 +0000

Saw this on 17th Oct. Some technical difficulties would have added to what was otherwise one of the most dire, pointless things I have seen on a stage. And those songs…..ugh! Left at the interval to preserve something of the evening.

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:09:12 +0000

It’s funny, I remember the fireball, but not when it was. It certainly wasn’t at the very end. I saw the play last night and thought it fabulous. Passionate, heated, desperate. The fireball was to the right of the stage (if you’re in the audience) and was hot and large enough to practically singe our eyebrows (we were in the Level 2 stalls). They certainly made us feel as if we were part of the action!

By: Matt Boothman

Matt Boothman — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:06:43 +0000

Just read Benedict Nightingale’s review for The Times, which says the production “culminat[es] in a fireball rising from the wings”. There was no such fireball on the 16th, when I saw it – can anyone who’s seen it more recently than me describe what Nightingale’s referring to?

By: FM Lunnon

FM Lunnon — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:52:20 +0000

In I think the 80s I saw a production of Mother Courage at the RSC with I think Judi Dench in the title role. Then too they had hideous technical difficulties with the cart and the opening was postponed, lots of apologies to punters etc. It wound up being so good I saw it 3 times. Let’s hope the same happens with this production.

By: terence d.o'sullivan

terence d.o'sullivan — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:04:30 +0000

I saw this production on the 26th: God alone knows what it must have been like on the aborted Press Review night a week earlier.
A messy production, going nowhere and good actors clearly not knowing what was expected from them by the less than talented Director.
Quite how I managed to last the first Act (2 hours!!) I do not know – innate theatre behavoural syndrome, I suppose: I did not trouble my seat after the interval.
Thankfully, it was a Travelex affair – I would have been seriously pissed off if I had paid more tan £10.

By: Kate Willis

Kate Willis — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:19:28 +0000

We went to see it on the 24th September and thoroughly enjoyed the performance. I loved Fiona Shaw’s portrayal of Mother Courage and some of the other cast members were excellent in their roles (particularly liked the Chaplain and Katlin). The music took a little time to get going, but I liked the fact that an established ‘band’ took on the writing of the music and Duke Special’s voice was a treat for the ears. Different to the usual theatrical singers for sure, but a welcome change. Re seeing the backstage goings-on – perhaps a little overstaged, and the scene setting signs were definitely displayed a little haphazardly, but I don’t feel that they took away anything from the performance.

By: Rev Stan

Rev Stan — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 20:31:53 +0000

I saw it on the 17th and thoroughly enjoyed it. Really liked the fact that the ‘inner workings’ were on display and didn’t find them distracting but part of the drama. One of my friends noticed some fluffed lines but I didn’t.
I try never to read reviews, whether by a ‘professional’ or on a blog until after I’ve seen a play and had a chance to enjoy it, or not as the case maybe, for myself, untainted by someone else’s view.
Love to read people’s opinions afterwards though, to see if they match my own ;0)

By: Julien Lewis

Julien Lewis — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 18:34:57 +0000

may i help from the distance… the national had big time problems but wanted to hold the dates… i think, one should stress the content of the play, the relations to afghanistan and so on – their decision to bring the play had been surely political – they stressed the importance, now, not later – but i didn´t saw the production

i saw a production years ago with stage hands on the stage, it was rather charming, everybody saw their time problems (incl. to fund higher production costs)