The Theatre of Anger and John Osborne 1929

The Theatre of Anger and John Osborne (1929 -1994) John Osborne

The Theatre of Anger and John Osborne 1. Theatre of Anger and John Osborne The 1950 s: the upheaval of traditional values Post-war drama The theatre of Anger Only Connect. . . New Directions J. Osborne’s Look Back in Anger

The Theatre of Anger and John Osborne 2. The 1950 s This decade was characterised by: • The destruction of the certainties and basic assumptions of the Victorian Age, swept away by two World Wars. • The decline of religious belief. • The mistrust in rationalism as a means to explain reality. Only Connect. . . New Directions

The Theatre of Anger and John Osborne 2. The 1950 s This decade was characterised by: • The disillusionment with socialist ideals, brought about by totalitarianism. • The materialism and consumerism of contemporary society. • The cultural and moral independence of the young from their elders. Only Connect. . . New Directions

The Theatre of Anger and John Osborne 3. Post-war drama • Modern drama inadequate to express the social revolution and changing values of Britain in the 1950 s. • The attempt to overcome apathy caused a real revolution in British drama. • There were two main trends in the 1950 s drama: 1. The theatre of the «Absurd» expressed metaphysical anguish, rootlessness, the lack of purpose and inaction. 2. The theatre of «Anger» criticised establishment values. Only Connect. . . New Directions

The Theatre of Anger and John Osborne 4. The theatre of Anger Main features: • use of a realistic setting • logical, easy-to-follow plot • outspoken language • presence of a thoughtful working-class hero, like the rebel Jimmy Porter • open criticism of establishment values Only Connect. . . New Directions

The Theatre of Anger and John Osborne 5. John Osborne (1929 -1994) Main works: • Look Back in Anger (1956) • The Entertainer (1957) • Luther (1961) John Osborne Only Connect. . . New Directions

The Theatre of Anger and John Osborne 5. John Osborne (1929 -1994) Main works: • Inadmissible Evidence (1964) • West of Suez (1971) • Déjà Vu (1992, with the same characters of Look Back in Anger) John Osborne Only Connect. . . New Directions

The Theatre of Anger and John Osborne 6. Look back in Anger • Structure: three-act conventional play, with a circular plot. • Setting: a squalid attic flat in the Midland. • Time: the play opens on a tedious Sunday afternoon. Kenneth Branagh as Jimmy Porter and Emma Thompson as Alison in Look Back in Anger, a 1989 film directed by Judi Dench Only Connect. . . New Directions

The Theatre of Anger and John Osborne 6. Look back in Anger • Characters: Jimmy Porter, an angry young man with a college education and a dead-end job; his wife Alison, an upper-middle class woman; Cliff, Jimmy’s business partner, a working-class uneducated man. Kenneth Branagh as Jimmy Porter and Emma Thompson as Alison in Look Back in Anger, a 1989 film directed by Judi Dench Only Connect. . . New Directions

The Theatre of Anger and John Osborne 7. Look back in Anger: Jimmy Porter Jimmy expresses anger and contempt towards: • the past • his wife’s not being angry and her lack of interest • the whole establishment • everyone and everything Richard Burton as Jimmy Porter in Look Back in Anger, a 1958 film directed by Tony Richardson Only Connect. . . New Directions

The Theatre of Anger and John Osborne 7. Look back in Anger: Jimmy Porter • He is an anti-hero he only speaks but never acts. • He has established a love-hate relationship with his wife he wants to possess her but at the same time he tries to destroy their relationship. Richard Burton as Jimmy Porter in Look Back in Anger, a 1958 film directed by Tony Richardson Only Connect. . . New Directions

The Theatre of Anger and John Osborne 8. Look back in Anger: themes and language The leitmotivs of the play: • the discontent and social alienation of certain sections of British society in the 1950 s • the pain of being alive Look Back in Anger, a 2009 Northern Stage performance • the study of existential failure Only Connect. . . New Directions

The Theatre of Anger and John Osborne 8. Look back in Anger: themes and language The language is: • revolutionary, crude and violent • spontaneous and vital • full of colloquialisms and slang expressions Look Back in Anger, a 2009 Northern Stage performance Only Connect. . . New Directions

The Theatre of Anger and John Osborne 9. Beckett vs. Osborne Beckett Osborne Plot Obscure, non consequential True-to-life, consequential Setting Symbolic, bare Realistic, related to working class Theme Meaninglessness of human experience Social critic against middle-class values Stage Directions Repetitive, frequent Detailed, informative, clear Language Everyday, meaningless Everyday, simple, clear Only Connect. . . New Directions