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FOREWORD
acknowledges the influence of Brecht’s distancing on her later work. More
clearly Neelands writes in numerous places of the influence of Brecht on
his conventions approach.’ Put baldly and basically the difference could be
seen to be immersive, lived at ‘life rate’ (Stanislavskian) and understanding,
reason, reflection predominating (Brechtian). As Heathcote and Fiala
express it “One of her [Heathcote’s] main purposes is to influence people to
develop reflective power”’® and earlier on the same page they quote Brecht
approvingly: “The essential point of the Epic Theatre is perhaps that it appeals
less to the feelings than to the spectator’s reason”. And immediately following
this quote from Brecht they write: “This is the key to the system that Dorothy
Heathcote uses in teaching.” Adam Bethlenfalvy usefully opens up these
areas and relates them to his research.
What is entirely new here is the theatre theory that the author brings
to structuring his drama teaching: the rich new theatre/drama theory and
practice that the British contemporary playwright Edward Bond brings
to the table. (The author incorporates and works with the earlier excellent
work done by Amoiropoulos referred to above). How can Bond’s approach
to drama be used to enrich LTD drama? Adam Bethlenfalvy worked directly
with Edward Bond as an actor in the theatre in education company Big Brum.
Bond was acting as a consultant to the company who were producing one of
his plays The Under Room. This gave the author a unique insight into Bond’s
approach to theatre. What he achieves in his description of Bond’s work is
one of the clearest and most useful introductions to the area that I know
of. He focuses on Bond’s development of Theatre Events and takes this as
his focus. As he describes it: “The question providing a framework for my
research aiming to use Bond’s theory in LTD is: how can DEs be created in
LTD lessons?”"
Central to Bond’s theory is his notion of Radical Innocence and the very
early development (minutes, hours, weeks) that every neonate human being
endures. The new-born child immediately is involved in a life and death
struggle to be at home in the world. The child’s first predominant feelings are
of the need to survive: to be fed; to be warm; to be comfortable; not to feel
pain. Ihen there begins a psychological, social self. The social environment
places demands on the child. The child is forced to relate its radical innocence
to society’s demands (primarily through the family). Bond argues that
Peter O’Connor: Creating Democratic Citizenship Through Drama Education: the writings
of Jonothan Neelands, Stoke on Trent, Trentham Books, 2010, xviii.
Dorothy Heathcote and Oliver Fiala: Preparing Teachers to Use Drama: The Caucasian
Chalk Circle, in Myra Barrs (ed.): Drama as Context. Dorothy Heathcote, Aberdeen, NATE
Papers in Education/Aberdeen University Press, 1980, 52.
Bethlenfalvy: Living through extremes, 70.
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