AJL26069 20th Century British Drama and The Royal Court Theatre

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2021
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Tomáš Kačer, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Tomáš Kačer, Ph.D.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Tomáš Hanzálek
Supplier department: Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Fri 10:00–11:40 G22
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 20 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 1/20, only registered: 0/20
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
It aims to give a deep understanding of the artistic development of the genre, and of the mechanisms that allowed for ground-breaking shifts in the British dramatic tradition, some of which are extrinsic to the dramatic texts. Finally, it considers current developments by searching for the possible “new RCT” by considering achievements of some of the greatest theatre festivals, the fringe, and the Finborough Theatre.
Syllabus
  • This course looks into the history of the British Drama from the perspective of the influence of the most innovative and influential theatres in Britain – The Royal Court Theatre in London, The Royal National Theatre, and the Royal Shakespeare Company. It covers the main corner stones of the development of the modern British dramatic tradition with special attention to performances produced on the stages of RCT, NT and RSC. It looks into the works of dramatists associated with these theatres. It also brings an insight into the working of RCT, NT and RSC and associated personalities, as well as the theatres’ relations with other stages. Besides studying British dramatists, it deals with other important theatre figures, such as artistic directors, directors and actors. It further introduces other important institutions that influenced the recent development of British drama, such as independent performance groups (Forced Entertainment, for example) and theatre festivals, such as The Fringe.
  • Week 1, Sep 18 (no class, orientation week)
  • Week 2, Sep 25: Introduction to course policies and assignments; the “right to fail”
  • Week 3, Oct 2 RCT I: 1956 and the new British playwriting: • Look Back in Anger
  • Week 4, Oct 9 RCT II: Making a case for censorship • Saved
  • Week 5, Oct 16 RCT III: Yelling it out loud right “In-Yer-Face” • Shopping and Fucking
  • Week 6, Oct 23 RSC: Reviving the Bard • Brook’s Midsummer Night’s Dream
  • Week 7, Oct 30 (no class, reading week)
  • Week 8, Nov 6 Performance groups in Britain • Forced Entertainment
  • Week 9, Nov 13 (no class)
  • Week 10, Nov 20 NT I: The need of a National Theatre • Romans in Britain
  • Week 11, Nov 27 NT II: Setting the example for the hesitant ones • Closer
  • Week 12, Dec 4 (presentations 1): Fringe theatre venues, festivals 1
  • Week 13, Dec 11 (presentations 2): What’s becoming hot, festivals 2
Literature
    required literature
  • DEVINE, Harriet. Looking back : playwrights at the Royal Court, 1956-2006. 1st pub. London: Faber and Faber, 2006, 334 s. ISBN 057123013X. info
  • REBELLATO, Dan. 1956 and all that : the making of modern British drama. 1st pub. London: Routledge, 1999, ix, 265. ISBN 041518939X. info
  • At the Royal Court : 25 years of the English Stage Company. Edited by Richard Findlater. Ambergate: Amber Lane Press, 1981, 201 s. : i. ISBN 0-906399-22-X. info
    recommended literature
  • HOROŠČÁK, Marek. Fenomén Royal Court Theatre a hry konce milénia. Brno: Janáčkova akademie múzických umění v Brně, 2008, 166 pp. ISBN 978-80-86928-37-1. info
  • HANČIL, Jan. Royal Court Theatre & divadlo dramatických autorů. 1. vyd. V Praze: Akademie múzických umění, 2007, 126 s. ISBN 9788073311049. info
  • LITTLE, Ruth and Emily MCLAUGHLIN. The Royal Court Theatre inside out. London: Oberon Books, 2007, 479 s. ISBN 9781840027631. info
  • DEVINE, Harriet. Looking back : playwrights at the Royal Court, 1956-2006. 1st pub. London: Faber and Faber, 2006, 334 s. ISBN 057123013X. info
  • CHAMBERS, Colin. Inside the Royal Shakespeare Company : creativity and the institution. First published. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2004, xiv, 262. ISBN 0415212022. info
  • ROBERTS, Philip. The Royal Court Theatre and the modern stage. 1st pub. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999, xxi, 291. ISBN 0521479622. info
Teaching methods
lectures, class discussion, audio-visual supplementary materials (performance screenings) and their analysis
Assessment methods
The pass line in 60% for credit.
The final grade will consist of these 3 parts:
1. Class participation (up to 25%); 2. In-class presentation in a group (up to 25%); 3. Research paper (up to 50%).
Research paper: The final research paper will be 8-10 pages long; it must meet the criteria for a research scholarly paper; the expected format is MLA (the latest edition). The topic of the paper should cover a drama or a work of theatre, analyze it critically, and set it within the context of the development on the institution where it was produced.
In-class presentation: You will be required to create teams of 2-3 students to cover a theatre festival or a major theatrical event of your choice. The presentation will be about 15 minutes long, followed by a 10 minute discussion.
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught only once.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2019, Autumn 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2021, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2021/AJL26069