The Plays and Theories of Howard Barker

In this course we will explore the plays of contemporary British playwright Howard Barker. Barker is the author of the Theatre of Catastrophe, a theory that tests the validity of moral categories and abolishes the routine distinctions between good and bad actions. He often presents desperate situations in bawdily humorous contexts. Barker’s work has always been surrounded by controversy. The plays covered in class will be No End of Blame, Scenes from an Execution, The Castle, Victory, Hard Heart, /The Europeans/, and The Possibilities.