Weapons of Happiness
Encyclopedia
Weapons of Happiness is a 1976 political
play
by Howard Brenton
about a strike
in a London
crisp factory. The play makes use of a dramatic conceit
whereby the Czech communist cabinet minister Josef Frank
is imagined alive in the 1970s (in real-life he was hanged in 1952), and his hallucinations of life in Stalinist Czechoslovakia
interweave with the main plot.
In an introduction to the play, Brenton wrote that he was "trying to write a kind of Jacobean
play for our time, a 'British epic theatre
'. Making only limited use of naturalism
, the play features several long speeches; in the same introduction Brenton quotes Julie Covington
, who appeared in the original production, as describing acting in it as being "like opening a furnace door - your time comes, you open the door and blaze, then shut it".
as part of a policy of staging new plays by leading authors in the company's new South Bank
home. At the time Brenton was a Marxist and seen as something of a polemicist, however in an interview with Theatre Quarterly from around the time the play was being written, he expressed dissatisfaction with fringe theatre
- the context in which his plays had previously been seen - and a desire to reach the bigger audiences subsidised theatre companies would provide. Further, Brenton would disclaim to be a moralist in the play's programme.
Weapons of Happiness became the first commissioned play to be performed at the reopened National Theatre when it premièred on the Lyttelton stage on 14th July 1976. The cast included Geoffrey Bateman as Stalin, Nick Brimble
, Julie Covington, Frank Finlay
as Josef Frank, Bernard Gallagher
, Michael Medwin, William Russell
and Derek Thompson. It was designed by Hayden Griffin and directed by David Hare
, a collaborator of Brenton's from Portable Theatre Company
and co-writer with him of Brassneck and Pravda
, itself staged at the National. Given the subject of the play it is ironic that its first production took place against the backdrop of the National Theatre itself was undergoing a good deal of difficulties with trade unions.
While the play drew in a younger, more radical audience to the National Theatre, Peter Hall the artistic director of the theatre noted in his diary that the stage crew (many of whom were political) did not care for it, and that he was disappointed by the newspaper reviews. However, Michael Coveney
was enthusiastic, describing in The Financial Times, "highly charged scenes that speak directly about the quality of life in England
today" and the production ran for 41 performances went on to win the Evening Standard Award for Best Play.
The play was sufficiently successful that after it opened Peter Hall asked Brenton for another, which would be the controversial The Romans in Britain
.
Weapons of Happiness was revived at the Finborough Theatre
in 2008. It received middling-to-good reviews, with the worst notices coming from the rightist The Times
and The London Evening Standard.
Political theatre
In the history of theatre, there is long tradition of performances addressing issues of current events and central to society itself, encouraging consciousness and social change. The political satire performed by the comic poets at the theatres, had considerable influence on public opinion in the...
play
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
by Howard Brenton
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...
about a strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
in a 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...
crisp factory. The play makes use of a dramatic conceit
Conceit
In literature, a conceit is an extended metaphor with a complex logic that governs a poetic passage or entire poem. By juxtaposing, usurping and manipulating images and ideas in surprising ways, a conceit invites the reader into a more sophisticated understanding of an object of comparison...
whereby the Czech communist cabinet minister Josef Frank
Josef Frank (politician)
Josef Frank was a Czechoslovakian Communist politician.Between 1939 and 1945 he was imprisoned in Buchenwald concentration camp....
is imagined alive in the 1970s (in real-life he was hanged in 1952), and his hallucinations of life in Stalinist Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
interweave with the main plot.
In an introduction to the play, Brenton wrote that he was "trying to write a kind of Jacobean
English Renaissance theatre
English Renaissance theatre, also known as early modern English theatre, refers to the theatre of England, largely based in London, which occurred between the Reformation and the closure of the theatres in 1642...
play for our time, a 'British epic theatre
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...
'. Making only limited use of naturalism
Naturalism (theatre)
Naturalism is a movement in European drama and theatre that developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It refers to theatre that attempts to create a perfect illusion of reality through a range of dramatic and theatrical strategies: detailed, three-dimensional settings Naturalism is a...
, the play features several long speeches; in the same introduction Brenton quotes Julie Covington
Julie Covington
Julie Covington is an English singer and actress, best known for recording the original version of "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina".-Career:...
, who appeared in the original production, as describing acting in it as being "like opening a furnace door - your time comes, you open the door and blaze, then shut it".
Stage history
The play was commissioned by the National TheatreRoyal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
as part of a policy of staging new plays by leading authors in the company's new South Bank
South Bank
South Bank is an area of London, England located immediately adjacent to the south side of the River Thames. It forms a long and narrow section of riverside development that is within the London Borough of Lambeth to the border with the London Borough of Southwark and was formerly simply known as...
home. At the time Brenton was a Marxist and seen as something of a polemicist, however in an interview with Theatre Quarterly from around the time the play was being written, he expressed dissatisfaction with fringe theatre
Fringe theatre
Fringe theatre is theatre that is not of the mainstream. The term comes from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which name comes from Robert Kemp, who described the unofficial companies performing at the same time as the second Edinburgh International Festival as a ‘fringe’, writing: ‘Round the fringe...
- the context in which his plays had previously been seen - and a desire to reach the bigger audiences subsidised theatre companies would provide. Further, Brenton would disclaim to be a moralist in the play's programme.
Weapons of Happiness became the first commissioned play to be performed at the reopened National Theatre when it premièred on the Lyttelton stage on 14th July 1976. The cast included Geoffrey Bateman as Stalin, Nick Brimble
Nick Brimble
Nick Brimble , is an English actor known for his performance as Little John in the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and his appearances on various television shows....
, Julie Covington, Frank Finlay
Frank Finlay
Francis Finlay, CBE is an English stage, film and television actor.-Personal life:Finlay was born in Farnworth, Lancashire, the son of Margaret and Josiah Finlay, a butcher. A devout Catholic, he belongs to the British Catholic Stage Guild. He was educated at St...
as Josef Frank, Bernard Gallagher
Bernard Gallagher
Bernard Gallagher is a British actor known for appearances in television soap operas and dramas. He was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire.Gallagher has appeared in many television series including Crown Court, Heartbeat, The thin blue line and Casualty.- External links :...
, Michael Medwin, William Russell
William Russell (actor)
William Russell is an English actor, mainly known for his television work. He was born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear.-Doctor Who:...
and Derek Thompson. It was designed by Hayden Griffin and directed by David Hare
David Hare (playwright)
Sir David Hare is an English playwright and theatre and film director.-Early life:Hare was born in St Leonards-on-Sea, Hastings, East Sussex, the son of Agnes and Clifford Hare, a sailor. He was educated at Lancing, an independent school in West Sussex, and at Jesus College, Cambridge...
, a collaborator of Brenton's from Portable Theatre Company
Portable Theatre Company
The Portable Theatre Company were a group of thespians in the late '60s and early '70s who meant to open the eyes of the British people to what was wrong in their contemporary world.-Origins:...
and co-writer with him of Brassneck and Pravda
Pravda (play)
Pravda is a play by David Hare and Howard Brenton. It was first produced at the Royal National Theatre on 2 May 1985, directed by David Hare starring Anthony Hopkins in the role of Lambert Le Roux. It is a satire on the mid-1980s newspaper industry, in particular the press baron Rupert Murdoch...
, itself staged at the National. Given the subject of the play it is ironic that its first production took place against the backdrop of the National Theatre itself was undergoing a good deal of difficulties with trade unions.
While the play drew in a younger, more radical audience to the National Theatre, Peter Hall the artistic director of the theatre noted in his diary that the stage crew (many of whom were political) did not care for it, and that he was disappointed by the newspaper reviews. However, Michael Coveney
Michael Coveney
Michael Coveney is a British theatre critic. He was educated at St Ignatius' College, Stamford Hill and Worcester College, Oxford....
was enthusiastic, describing in The Financial Times, "highly charged scenes that speak directly about the quality of life in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
today" and the production ran for 41 performances went on to win the Evening Standard Award for Best Play.
The play was sufficiently successful that after it opened Peter Hall asked Brenton for another, which would be the controversial The Romans in Britain
The Romans in Britain
The Romans in Britain is a stage play by Howard Brenton that comments upon imperialism and the abuse of power.A cast of thirty actors play sixty roles.- Stage history :...
.
Weapons of Happiness was revived at the Finborough Theatre
Finborough Theatre
The Finborough Theatre is a fifty seat theatre in the Earls Court area of London, United Kingdom , which presents new British writing, UK and premieres of new plays, primarily from the English speaking world including North America, Canada, Scotland and Ireland, music theatre, and rarely seen...
in 2008. It received middling-to-good reviews, with the worst notices coming from the rightist The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
and The London Evening Standard.