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The Good Woman of Szechwan
by Bertolt Brecht
‘How can I be good when everything is so expensive?’
One of Brecht’s most-loved ‘fairy tales for adults’, The Good Woman of Szechwan is the charming tale of Shen Teh, the kindly streetwalker, who is chosen by three visiting gods as their ideal of virtue, despite her shady way of life. Their mission on earth is to find at least one good person and Shen Teh’s kindness and generosity give them the impression that they have found their woman. But things are not so simple, especially when you’re selling yourself to survive in a wretched Chinese slum. Frauds, thieves, gossips and parasites surround She Teh and do everything they can to exploit her good nature. The ‘Angel of the Slums’ can’t trust a word that comes out of anybody’s mouth and has to invent a fictitious cousin, the ruthless Mr Shui Ta, to fight her corner against all comers. This formidable alter ego helps her to prosper but brings out sides of our dubious heroine that raise all kinds of moral dilemmas for her and everyone around her.
Thus, the folksy surface of the story is underpinned by Brecht’s punchy commentary on politics, personal morality and the hypocrisy of those at the top who make the rules for those at the bottom. It’s funny, touching, lyrically beautiful at times, but it’s still a searing satire of social inequality as relevant today as it ever was.
Songs, snatches of verse, projection, printed text and direct address were all part of Brecht’s revolutionary theatrical vocabulary and in this production a whole range of these are used in a de-constructed digital form to create an event that is as vibrant and compelling as a gig or an intense debate while retaining all the delights of the traditional play.
Wike Schippers, who delighted audiences with her exquisite music in The Tempest and The House of Bernarda Alba, again supports the cast with a live sound score which she will improvise anew for every performance.
When: Tuesday 25th February to Saturday March 1st at 7.30 pm nightly
Where: Stack Theatre, MTU Cork School of Music
Tickets: Standard €18.00, Concession €10.00, Special Concession/Student Rate only for Thursday 27th €5.00
Booking: Only from events.mtu.ie
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