AJ26069 20th Century British Drama and The Royal Court Theatre

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2015
Extent and Intensity
0/20/0. 2 credit(s) (plus 3 credits for an exam). Recommended Type of Completion: zk (examination). Other types of completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Tomáš Kačer, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Jeffrey Alan Vanderziel, B.A.
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
Tue 12:30–14:05 L32
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: 0/20, only registered: 0/20
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 14 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
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 one of the most innovative theatres in Britain – The Royal Court Theatre in London. 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 the RCT. It looks into the works of dramatists associated with the RCT and the English Stage Company. It also brings an insight into the working of RCT and personalities associated with it, as well as the theatre’s interrelations with other stages through analyses of their collaboration. Besides studying the main personalities among 20th century 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 development of British drama, such as the National Theatre, but also small independent groups, such as Forced Entertainment, and the culture of theatre festivals, such as The Fringe.
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
  • 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 2013, Autumn 2019.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2015, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2015/AJ26069