Book Reviews: Jan Matti Dollbaum, Morvan Lallouet and Ben Noble: Navalny: Putin’s Nemesis, Russia’s Future?

Abstract

subject matter and poetics/dramaturgy, and sees him as his theatrical forbear (literally at the Berliner Ensemble). Müller picks up similar issues and reworks some aspects of focus and form (e.g. the use of the Lehrstück) with reference to the political situations facing him in the GDR in the 1950s and 1960s, moves away from them in the 1970s but returns to Brecht’s ‘methods’ in the 70s/80s: key factors include the use of non-Aristotelian dramaturgy and anti-illusionism; emphasis on structural conflict as opposed to individual psychology, through types rather than ‘characters’, the search for ‘an aesthetic of impact’ and the goal of a political theatre which presents social circumstances as modifiable. Norman Rössler’s ‘Thinking Brecht in(to) the University’ clarifies that this is not about ‘using a Brecht text’, but rather ‘seeks to intervene, dialecticize and apply Brechtian thought to the disciplinary-capitalized university and its architectonics of specialization . . .’. The essay offers some stimulating thoughts on ‘theatricalizing’ space and teaching– learning relationships, as well as deriving an interactive and semiotic approach from some short Brecht texts on radio production. There are many other useful pieces in this collection, which also has a good Bibliography.