Bad Drama Angers Me

-

What is “bad drama”? Probably the most logical answer would be theatre that we hate, right? Drama, directing, acting and design that elicit a negative reaction, one of disgust or disappointment. And, in the moment, this can cause audiences to scoff or to roll their eyes, tell-tale signs that what they are watching is not good. But I don’t think this is entirely true. Perhaps, yes, the drama might be “bad” but aren’t those feelings, those full-body experiences of fury and scorn, theatre in itself?

I believe that dramatic, theatrical desires and emotion run through the veins of all of us. Any ideas that come from deep, repressed parts of our humanity is, in my eyes, what theatre is. And so, in that sense, the wide spectrum of reactions in response to “bad drama”, the ones that come from a buried recess in the body and psyche, can be called drama itself, allowing it to act as a reprise of the production that warrants such strong feelings. 


I find reading negative theatre reviews far more entertaining than positive ones. These kind of reviews have no expectations, no barriers. They don't worry about doing the play justice or selling it to mass audiences. Instead, they drench their words with passion, with betrayal, with frustration. That is where the real theatre lies. 


And it's not just the professionals. With bad drama, everyone suddenly becomes a theatre critic. They are analysing, evaluating and firing their opinions, no holds barred. The audience wake up and they scour through the performance with a fine tooth comb, searching for impurities to kick-start their tirade with. It alights something in them and secretly, the revel in the joy of deeming a production "trash" or "cheap" or "amateurish". 


Since its creation, the concept of theatre being unimpressive or detestable has circled around endless communities, quickly transferring to newspapers and now… blog posts. In fact, Aristotle himself engaged in theatre criticism, and I doubt that all of his “reviews” were glowing reverence. 


So, what is it that shapes our definition of “bad”? Naturally, we must look at what is good. Visually mesmerising, stirring theatre is entertainment that inspires, connects and unites those who love it. Unity. 


My argument is this: just as those who adore a piece of theatre are united in the moment of viewing it together, enjoying it together and remembering it together, those who are angered or let down by a performance are just as connected. They have the liberty of discussing, critiquing and making a judgement on the art they have witnessed and perhaps a more in-depth one at that. With this viewpoint, is bad drama really that bad?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

-
Image
A Streetcar Named Desire, written by Tennessee Williams in 1947, follows two sisters as they reconnect and discover more about each other, in the landscape of an urban, post-war New Orleans. The young women, formidable Blanche Dubois and dutiful Stella Kowalski, live with Stella’s husband Stanley, often drunk and aggressive yet protective of his wife. Many other male characters reveal themselves throughout the play, particularly Mitch, who attempts to spark a romance with Blanche.  A main message of the play for me is the gender roles and expectations awarded to men and women. The actions that the men are allowed to indulge themselves in, drinking, gambling and sex, are admonished when performed by Blanche. This is apparent of the time period, as the early-to-mid 1900s are infamous for this kind of discrimination. However, Blanche is a powerhouse, whose mysterious backstory is one of sordid exploits and a degrading reputation. She is the subject of rumours, insults and assumptions,...
Read more

Nudity, Sex, Suicide: A Review of 'Never Land' by Phyllis Nagy

-
Image
Never Land, written by Phyllis Nagy in 1998, is set in a small town in France, following an ambitious yet heartbroken family through their dramas and tribulations. Henri’s desire, above all else, is to live and work in England, and we see him get closer and closer to the realisation of this dream, before it is plucked out of his fingers, sending him and the whole family into a downward spiral of depression and self-loathing. This is, of course, played in tandem to a socio-economic crisis that leaves the family in crippling debt and despair. At the same time, the daughter Elisabeth’s abusive fiancé, Michael, ends the relationship in a chaotic, full-blown speech, destroying Elisabeth and causing her already fragile emotions to crack and burst free from her heart in the overblown climax of the play. The text itself is simultaneously haunting and tumultuous, as a play about extreme heartbreak should be. But, Nagy does not play to your expectations. She completely removes all boundaries, de...
Read more

The Degradation of Audience Etiquette

-
Image
We all have a pet peeve, no matter how often we tell ourselves we don’t. Mine, like many other theatre-goers, is the increasing number of rude and inappropriate audience members we are having to share auditoriums with. Watching Matilda on the West End a few weeks ago, I noticed at least three people whip their phones out of their pocket, scroll on Snapchat, send a quick message or, God forbid, sneak a quick snap of the stage. Not to mention a couple having the most in depth, obtuse conversation possible bang in the middle of my eye line. I know I’m not alone in these experiences. So why is it these insensitive audiences seem to be getting more and more common? The first possibility is, and excuse me whilst I sound like your old uncle at Christmas, those damn phones. TikTok and YouTube have become a breeding ground for illegal filming of these shows, many reaching hundreds of thousands of views. Wicked seems to be a particular favourite of these bootleg creators, one playlist of which g...
Read more