A practical, hands-on guide-for actors, directors, teachers and students-to Brecht's history and practice of theatre. “The Complete Brecht Toolkit” examines, one by one, Brecht's many, sometimes contradictory ideas about theatre-and how he put them into practice. Here are explanations of all the famous key terms, such as Alienation Effect, Epic Theatre and Gestus, as well as many others which go to make up what we think of as 'Brechtian theatre'. There follows a section which looks at the practical application of these theories in Acting, Language, Music, Design and Direction. And finally, the book offers fifty exercises for student actors to investigate Brecht's ideas for themselves, becoming thoroughly familiar with the tools in the Brecht toolkit.
"'a useful, refreshing, no-nonsense introduction to a practitioner who can be contradictory and is often misunderstood'"
The Stage
"'[a] major and brilliant achievement... exemplary clarity and concision... honour[s] the complexity of Brecht while providing a valuable addition to the literature aimed at exploring and explaining this key figure. I highly recommend this book to you'"
Drama magazine
"'a thorough yet crystal clear explanation of Brecht's more complicated techniques and ideas'"
