123251 AR Literature Course - Literature 1/2 (MA) British/Irish/New English (2016S)

Content: This course will enable students to study a number of plays (both canonical and contemporary) and actually see them performed in London theatres. In addition, we will study the theatre scene as such by exploring different venues and their role and significance for theatre history as a whole: e.g., the Royal Court (experimental and contemporary), the National Theatre (theatre for the nation, a combination of classics and modern forms), the West End (commercial). Naturally, we will also see a Shakespeare play - at the new Wannamaker theatre - and thereby gain insight into the interaction between actors and audience in Renaissance theatre. There will also be opportunities to inspect major sights in London which hold a special appeal to students of English culture (e.g., the British Museum, the British Library, Bloomsbury, Southwark) and to look at exhibitions (e.g., in the Tate Gallery and/or the National Gallery).

Methods: Interactive (oral presentation, classroom discussions, field work). There will be one blocked session to prepare for the field trip and one class afterwards to review and evaluate our experiences. Participants are expected to prepare presentations on various topics, to read all the plays we are going to see, and to produce texts and multi-media material for final documentation.

Aims: This field trip offers students the opportunity to explore London as the historical and cultural capital of the English-speaking world. It constitutes a regular course (AR) and combines aspects of language, literature and culture, with a distinct focus on drama. Our main objective will be to explore as many plays and theatres as possible during our visit.