Greenland (play)
Encyclopedia
Greenland is a 1988 play by Howard Brenton
. It is a neo-Brecht
ian epic
psychodrama
with many actors, props and scene changes, on which the writer worked for seven years. It is the last of Brenton's three Utopian
plays, following Sore Throats and Bloody Poetry
.
The play opened at the Royal Court Theatre
in London
on 26 May 1988 and played there for a season. Its United States
premiere was at the Famous Door Theater in Chicago
in January 1994.
general election
victory. Four of the characters jump into the River Thames
in despair, and in the second act wake up 700 years in the future, in a utopia
where no one has to do anything they don't want to.
parliamentary candidate, Betty, a morally outraged fundamentalist, Brian, a drunk, and Paul, Lord Ludlow, a wife-beating debt-ridden capitalist.
Howard Brenton
-Early years:Brenton was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, son of Methodist minister Donald Henry Brenton and his wife Rose Lilian . He was educated at Chichester High School For Boys and read English Literature at St Catharine's College, Cambridge. In 1964 he was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal...
. It is a neo-Brecht
Brecht
Brecht is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the towns of Brecht proper, Sint-Job-in't-Goor and Sint-Lenaarts. On January 1, 2006 Brecht had a total population of 26,464...
ian epic
Epic theatre
Epic theatre was a theatrical movement arising in the early to mid-20th century from the theories and practice of a number of theatre practitioners, including Erwin Piscator, Vladimir Mayakovsky, Vsevolod Meyerhold and, most famously, Bertolt Brecht...
psychodrama
Psychodrama
Psychodrama is a method of psychotherapy in which clients utilize spontaneous dramatization, role playing and dramatic self-presentation to investigate and gain insight into their lives. Developed by Jacob L. Moreno, M.D. psychodrama includes elements of theater, often conducted on a stage where...
with many actors, props and scene changes, on which the writer worked for seven years. It is the last of Brenton's three Utopian
Utopian and dystopian fiction
The utopia and its offshoot, the dystopia, are genres of literature that explore social and political structures. Utopian fiction is the creation of an ideal world, or utopia, as the setting for a novel. Dystopian fiction is the opposite: creation of a nightmare world, or dystopia...
plays, following Sore Throats and Bloody Poetry
Bloody Poetry
Bloody Poetry is a 1984 play by Howard Brenton centring on the lives of Percy Shelley and his circle.The play had its roots in Brenton's involvement with the small touring company Foco Novo and was the third, and final, show he wrote for them...
.
The play opened at the Royal Court Theatre
Royal Court Theatre
The Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre on Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is noted for its contributions to modern theatre...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 26 May 1988 and played there for a season. Its United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
premiere was at the Famous Door Theater in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in January 1994.
Plot summary
The first act is set on 11 June 1987, the day of the third consecutive ConservativeConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
general election
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
victory. Four of the characters jump into the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
in despair, and in the second act wake up 700 years in the future, in a utopia
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
where no one has to do anything they don't want to.
Leading characters
The action centres around four characters: Joan, a LabourLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
parliamentary candidate, Betty, a morally outraged fundamentalist, Brian, a drunk, and Paul, Lord Ludlow, a wife-beating debt-ridden capitalist.