Brecht Play On Grand Scale

An Epic Play such as The Life Of Galileo, to be presented by the Khandallah Arts Theatre sponsored by the English Department in the Memorial Theatre this week from May 25 to May 30 Doses problems of production all its own.

It is epic not only in the Brechtian sense of being theatre of non-involvement, but also in its sheer size and length.

There are 15 scenes. The sets for these have been designed by Geoffrey Nees to combine a richness and variety with economy of movement. Set changing, which involves the flying of some scenery, is to take place behind a gauze screen only, in keeping with Brecht's aim of constantly reminding the audience that it is in a theatre.

The play contains 87 characters requiring over 100 costumes. Music has been composed by Ashley Heenan and Terry Bryan. Terry Bryan is to sing, accompanying himself on the lute, his own settings of the verses preceding each scene.

Brecht uses these verses to convey in brief the developments of the plot before their dramatic presentation. He thus avoids suspense or fragmentation of interest and forces his audience into intellectual action and rational judgment of character and situation.

Perhaps it is the sheer complexity of the play which has hitherto deterred other theatre groups in New Zealand from tackling it. The producer, Pauline McLean, will be remembered for her brilliant production of Archibald Macleish's J.B. in August last year. Galileo, in itself an exciting and controversial play, promises to be a no less remarkable event in theatrical circles.