Brecht

Bertolt Brecht is a theatre practitioner. He created a style of acting know as Epic Theatre, this was a response to Melodrama and Naturalism. He wanted his audience to be aware that they were watching a performance he did this by breaking the fourth wall.

Brecht would get inspiration for his plays from things that are happening around the world. This gave his plays a message, getting the audience thinking and talking, this would hopefully make people want to change.

To make the audience aware that they are watching a play he:

• did not give the characters name, this would make them seem less real and less human. For example he named his characters The School Boy, The Police Man, The Wife.
• the actors would change costume on stage, this would show the audience that they were just playing a character.
• would break the forth wall. He did this by having actors in the audience that would come from the seating and start performing.
• he used minimal sets and props. This would make it less realistic because the audience would have to use there imagination. Also he didn't want his performances just to be played in theatres because poor people could not afford to see the show. So by using minimal set and props he could travel around showing people his plays, performing in factories, hospitals and prisons.