British Universities Film & Video Council

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Plebians Rehearse the Uprising, The

Alternative title
Plebejer Proben den Aufstand
Synopsis
Live audio recording of Günther Grass’s play that was inspired by the Stalin-Allee worker’s march against the headquarters of the Socialist Unity Party in East Berlin on June 17, 1953 and the reaction of intellectuals and artists such as Bertolt Brecht who failed to respond to the uprising by separating himself from the workers. In his introduction to the play Grass notes that Brecht was working on his adaptation of Shakespeare’s Coriolanus in which the audience’s sympathy is redirected towards the plebians. The play is Grass’ indictment of Brecht for failing his responsibilities as head of the Berliner Ensemble. The play begins with the managing-director of an acting company leading professional actors and working-class stand-ins through a rehearsal of his new adaptation of Coriolanus. [Description with acknowledgment to Amy Scott-Douglas, op cit].
Language
English
Country
Great Britain
Medium
Audio
Subjects
Drama
Keywords
Brecht, Bertolt (1898-1956); Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); Rehearsals

Credits

Director
David Jones
Writer
Günter Grass
Cast
Alton Kumalo 
Anne Dyson 
Boyd Mackenzie 
David Bailie 
David Dundas 
David Sinclair 
Denis Holmes 
Don Henderson 
Emrys James 
Geoffrey Hutchings 
Janet Henfrey 
John Berwyn 
Lisa Harrow 
Michael Gambon 
Michael Shannon 
Morgan Sheppard 
Nicholas Selby 
Peggy Ashcroft 
Peter Geddis 
Peter Messaline 
Pip Donaghy 
Richard Mayes 
Roger Rees 

Archive

Name

British Library Sound Archive

Email
listening@bl.uk
Web
http://www.bl.uk/nsa External site opens in new window
Phone
020 7412 7676
Fax
020 7412 7441
Address
96 Euston Road
London
NW1 2DB
View this record on the Shakespeare site for additional details

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