Brecht’s theoretical notions and theatrical practices are being re-discovered for the English-speaking world. On the basis of original archive work and critical engagement with the new German edition of his writings, English-speaking scholars have been developing new insights into epic theatre and radically questioning what everybody thought they knew about Brecht.

This one-day colloquium will consider the ways in which we now have to recalibrate our understanding of Brecht. Three leading international scholars of Brecht and modern German theatre will present their latest work: a revised, re-translated and expanded Brecht on Theatre; Brecht on Performance – a new edition and re-translation of the Messingkauf and new translation of the Modelbooks; and Brecht in Practice: Theatre, Theory and Performance. Central’s actors will work on the re-edited Messingkauf to demonstrate how it functions as a performance text.

The colloquium also forms part of the knowledge exchange activities of the AHRC ‘Brecht into English’ project (lead investigator Dr Tom Kuhn) and associated Writing Brecht Project.

For more information, visit the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama website.