marjorie73 | Mother Courage and Her Children

My friend suggested that we go to see Mother Courage and her children' at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, starring Julie Hesmondhalgh.

It's not a play which I had previously seen, or was familiar with, but I'd enjoyed the previous Brecht productions I've seen, so why not?

It turns out that this is more unremittingly grim than either of the others I've seen, lots of death, betrayal, (off-stage) rape, and murder.

The play was originally set in the 30 Years War, this version is set in a dystopian future, in which Europe has become a war-torn range of 'grids', rather then countries, across which the Red and Blue factions fight for resources, and Mother Courage crosses between them, selling drink, drugs, weapons, luxuries and sex (her own or that of others)

She is a deeply flawed, and deeply unlikable character, whose hunger for profit contributes to the deaths of her children, and who is, in turn, betrayed or let down by most of her companions

It was an interesting production, with excellent actors, but not a barrel of laughs!