Heiner Muller's The Hamletmachine / David Barnett.

Introduction -- Surveying the Scenes -- A History of Western Civilisation in ten pages -- Open Sesame? -- Staging The Hamletmachine -- Conclusion.

"At first glance, readers of The Hamletmachine could be forgiven for wondering whether it is actually a play at all: it opens with a montage of texts that are not ascribed to a character, there is no vestige of a plot, and the whole piece lasts a total of ten pages. Yet this play regularly features in the repertoires of theatres and is frequently staged by university theatre departments. This book examines why such a seemingly obscure piece for the theatre has proved so popular. Readers will be introduced to M�uller as an experimental, politically committed writer who seeks to confront the shortcomings of his age in a compact and radically open play. The chapters help unpick the complexities of the writing, consider the problems M�uller poses for performance and discuss two exemplary productions in order to show how the play can engage very different audiences."-- Provided by publisher.