Resource - Introduction to Brecht KS4 KS5

This resource introduces students of the ‘Brechtian’ technique and also includes exercises.
Brecht’s plays had a strong political social function in seeking to promote a Marxists analysis of society. His purpose was not simply to show the world as it was but to change it into a better world for workers and other oppressed groups. Early in his career he wrote a series of plays called Lehrstucke or ‘learning plays’. The Lehrstucke offered very clear and unambiguous lessons to the audience and are an example of didactic theatre. The social function of didactic theatre is clearly educational, often political, rather than for amusement or entertainment.