Anti fascism and political theatre a comparative study of Bertolt Brecht and David Edgar

Abstract

This study sought to investigate the history of fascism and then offered comprehensive explanation of anti-fascist movements in Britain and Germany from 1920s to the present. This study not only provides comprehensive study of Brecht s and Edgar s plays based on primary sources, but also traces the historicity, social and cultural relevance of anti-fascism since 1920s up to the contemporary times. In this thesis, we have studied the notion of anti-fascism and its relationship with political theatre. We have also reflected on the differences and similarities in terms of strategies used by both Bertolt Brecht and David Edgar for articulating their opposition to fascism through their plays. A voluminous body of literature has been published on the protagonists of British and German fascism, yet very little work has been done on its antagonists. An interesting field for future research is the study of neo-fascism in Britain and its influence on British life through the plays of David Edgar such as Pentecost (1994), The Prisoner s Dilemma (2001) and Testing the Echo (2008). These three plays discuss the predicament of the refugees, especially after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Moreover, interesting research can also be done on the connections between political theatre and/or the influence of Shakespearean theatre on David Edgar and Bertolt Brecht. newline