At the turn of the 20th century several strands of new drama were developing in the UK. This was not a cohesive movement but the initiative of a few individuals including
William Archer, William Poel, Edward Gordon Craig, George Bernard Shaw and Harley Granville Barker.
Two emerging trends were:
- The dramatization of contemporary, moral and social issues.
- An interest in a simpler and more abstract staging of plays and rejection of the historic detail that had pervaded Victorian
stage design.
William Poel
In 1894 William Poel founded the Victorian Stage Society and began to produce Shakespeare’s plays in as near to Elizabethan conditions as he could, using galleried
halls such as the Inner Temple. Poel believed that realistic settings worked against the poetic nature of Shakespeare’s text. Poel’s work was regarded as a
quirky fringe event but was to have a big influence on Granville Barker.
Edward Gordon Craig
At about the same time Edward Gordon Craig, son of actress Ellen Terry, began to experiment with simpler abstract stage design.
Craig’s theories on production heralded the 20th century’s preoccupation with director’s theatre but his work was to have more impact in Europe than in the UK. It wasn’t until the 1950s that his influence was to have a substantial effect on theatre design
in this country.
George Bernard Shaw
One of the most successful writers of the early 20th century was George Bernard Shaw, an outspoken member of the Fabian Society committed
to social reform and considered by many to be subversive. His satirical and often humorous writing included
uncomfortable topics such as religion and prostitution and he challenged the morality of his bourgeois audiences. This dramatization of contemporary issues shocked
audiences and
led to censorship of some of his plays by
the Lord Chamberlain.
From 1899 to 1968, innovations in dramatic form, and plays with controversial subject matter were, for the most part confined to the small club theatres that avoided the Lord Chamberlain’s censorship by admitting ‘members’ as
the audience.
Influence from Abroad
Innovative work from abroad particularly by playwrights such as Henrik Ibsen and Anton Chekhov was also influential
in the shaping of this new drama. Ibsen’s work dealt with social issues and was heavily censored by the Lord
Chamberlain. It was also
condemned by many critics as being morally deranged.
Ibsen productions were greeted with some of the most extraordinary critical vilification ever heaped on a playwright. Ghosts, dealing with syphilis, was attacked by critic
Clement Scott as ‘an open drain; a loathsome sore unbandaged; a dirty act done publicly’. And that was mild compared with the American reviews. Ibsen never
enjoyed a major success in London with any of his plays during his lifetime.
Introduction
Granville Barker
