Mother Courage

Bertolt Brecht is arguably the most important theatrical talent of the 20th century. His theories are still heavily debated in every major school and university, and as a result productions of his work can feel more like academic discourses than living theatre.

So it is to the credit of inclusive company Birds of Paradise Theatre that this production of Mother Courage and Her Children is not an intellectual exercise but an accessible performance. Scholars of Brecht will certainly see many of the ‘alienation’ concepts at play, but those who have never heard of him won’t feel left behind. And with the extended War on Terror and all the current revolts going on in the Middle East, the play feels as relevant now as ever.

Set during the Thirty Years’ War, the play follows the exploits of Anna Fierling, better known as Mother Courage. She has two goals: keep her children out of the war and make as much money as possible. Through a collection of scenes set over the years, the play shows how she fails miserably at both.

Director Morven Gregor has boiled things down without simplifying any of the themes or characters, and her cast of seven mostly do well in playing multiple roles while bringing to life scenes filled with political debate. Actors Johnny Austin, Keith Macpherson and Ashley Smith fare best, creating memorable characters that are both humorous and heartbreaking.

However, for every success there are at least two setbacks. Scene shifts take longer than they should, musical numbers feel undercooked and some characterisations are more successful than others. Most of these points could have been overlooked had a much larger and more unforgiveable flaw not been committed: dropped lines.

The production is riddled with dead moments of actors waiting for inspiration to remind them of their next words. It isn’t helped that the script is projected behind them, for the audience can see clearly when an actor has hit a mental brick wall. It reached the point where a few struggling cast members made excuses to turn their backs in order to read their own prompts.

Given time, this could be a great production. It has the right cast, the right direction and the right design, but with obvious lapses in lines and some lacklustre performances in song, this Mother Courage leaves much to be desired. It has potential, but it just isn’t there yet.

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