Duchess of Malfi: Deconstructing the play - for iPad/Mac/PC

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Duchess of Malfi: Deconstructing the play - for iPad/Mac/PC

Does the Duchess of Malfi have any resonance with modern-day audiences? Are it’s themes of politics and revenge still relevant today? Since it was originally published in the seventeenth century the play has been interpreted in a variety of ways, each different director examining the story and realising a unique translation of the work. In 2010 the Greenwich Theatre performed The Duchess of Malfi and in this collection we follow the cast and crew as they analyse the language used by John Webster, as well as exploring different ways of understanding the text and converting his words into a performance. This material forms part of The Open University course A230 Reading and studying literature.

Episodes

  1. 10/05/2011

    The Duchess of Malfi

    A brief introduction to the play.

    2 min

  2. 10/05/2011

    Transcript -- The Duchess of Malfi

    A brief introduction to the play.

  3. 10/05/2011

    Understanding Webster’s text

    The cast discuss examine what the language means and why Webster chose to use those particular words.

    7 min

  4. 10/05/2011

    Transcript -- Understanding Webster’s text

    The cast discuss examine what the language means and why Webster chose to use those particular words.

  5. 10/05/2011

    Interpreting Webster’s text for the stage

    An exploration of the different ways the text can be deciphered and translated for performance.

    5 min

  6. 10/05/2011

    Transcript -- Interpreting Webster’s text for the stage

    An exploration of the different ways the text can be deciphered and translated for performance.

  7. 10/05/2011

    Anatomy of a scene

    During a workshop day the actors are given the opportunity to work on different interpretations of a scene.

    5 min

  8. 10/05/2011

    Transcript -- Anatomy of a scene

    During a workshop day the actors are given the opportunity to work on different interpretations of a scene.

  9. 10/05/2011

    Bosolo

    During the course of the play the importance of Bosolo’s character increases.

    8 min

  10. 10/05/2011

    Transcript -- Bosolo

    During the course of the play the importance of Bosolo’s character increases.

  • 10 Episodes

About

Does the Duchess of Malfi have any resonance with modern-day audiences? Are it’s themes of politics and revenge still relevant today? Since it was originally published in the seventeenth century the play has been interpreted in a variety of ways, each different director examining the story and realising a unique translation of the work. In 2010 the Greenwich Theatre performed The Duchess of Malfi and in this collection we follow the cast and crew as they analyse the language used by John Webster, as well as exploring different ways of understanding the text and converting his words into a performance. This material forms part of The Open University course A230 Reading and studying literature.

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