Mother Courage & Her Children
2013
6557893
2013
single work
drama
'Bertolt Brecht's epic morality tale about the ravages of war is given a unique twist by Queensland Theatre Company Artistic Director Wesley Enoch and Paula Nazarski in a dazzling new translation.
Instead of the 'Thirty Years' War of 1600s Europe, this near-future incarnation of the age-old story is set against the bleak backdrop of a post-apocalyptic desert where Mad Max might be at home - an Australia ravaged by devastating conflict, where life is cheap but business is still business. Ursula Yovich is the titular canteen-wagon mistress, shrewdly driving hard bargains as she shepherds her brood of three through this unforgiving, harsh wilderness. With an all-Indigenous cast, this fresh spin on Brecht's play delicately folds in themes of land ownership, the impact of mining and the stolen generation.' (Source: QPAC website www.qpac.com.au)
'Warwick Thornton's installation Mother Courage, prompted by Brecht's classic drama, addresses the situation of Aboriginal Australians, especially artists, and the politics of their survival. Juxtaposing traditional paintings with contemporary media-based culture, the installation highlights the issue of "authentic" Aboriginal art and displays Aboriginal artists' diversity and agency.' (Publication abstract)
'Warwick Thornton's installation Mother Courage, prompted by Brecht's classic drama, addresses the situation of Aboriginal Australians, especially artists, and the politics of their survival. Juxtaposing traditional paintings with contemporary media-based culture, the installation highlights the issue of "authentic" Aboriginal art and displays Aboriginal artists' diversity and agency.' (Publication abstract)
