170542 UE Black British Theatre (2022S)

Content:
The work of Black playwrights in Britain has been marginalised, ignored, and taken less seriously than the work of white British dramatists in terms of scholarly discussion, production and training opportunities, or funding. However, Black British dramatists have played a crucial role in the formation of modern British theatre and have provoked a revolution in dramatic language and form. It is in particular via the stage that Black British writers have successfully used the gaps in representations of Britishness to generate alternative conceptions of British identity. In this course we focus exclusively on British-born Black dramatists and critically analyse key plays by writers such as debbie tucker green, Mojisola Adebayo, Roy Williams, Kwame Kwei-Armah, or Inua Ellams. Their plays reflect the rich diversity of the Black British experience by addressing economic and social issues such as health, religion, education, feminism, old age, community and race relations as well as Black culture and the arts. We will explore the aesthetics of the plays and their distinctive contribution to modern and contemporary British culture and literature. We will question British identity, examine representations of ‘Britishness’ on stage, and draw connections between language, race, and power. We will employ literary-based textual analysis as well as analysis of recordings of performance (if possible), and draw from interdisciplinary links to social theory and cultural studies.

Course objective:
Students will get acquainted with Black British dramatists and learn to critically engage with and analyse key plays. Students will get familiarised with discourses of the African and Caribbean diaspora in Britain and gain an understanding of contemporary debates about race, gender, nation, and Britishness. Students will train critical thinking and close reading, and develop their presentation and writing skills.

Teaching and learning method:
interactive (& New Media); The methodology of this course is based on critical pedagogy. Short input session by the course instructor, which will explain and contextualize relevant theories and contexts, are followed by in class dialogue and group discussions, in which students are expected to actively participate. Students will also engage in close readings and critical analysis of assigned texts. We will follow a code of conduct built on collaboration, respect, and compassion towards one another and actively practice the Southern African philosophy of ubuntu which broadly means, I am who I am because you are who you are, I am me through you and you are you through me. My aim is to create inspiring, engaging, and safe learning environments that are useable, equitable, inclusive, and welcoming and in which students will be constantly provoked to engage in critical thinking. I follow a Universal Design for Learning approach and strive to create inclusive and accessible classrooms and course materials. Please e-mail me if you are in need of any accommodations.