Barker: Plays Eight: The Bite of the Night; Brutopia; The Forty; Wonder and Worship in the Dying Ward

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The Trojan legend and the character of Helen form the basis for The Bite of the Night. As with all Barkers mythical and historical works, it is overlaid and undermined by a contemporary narrative, in this instance the search for the origin of the erotic undertaken by the redundant university teacher Dr Savage and his nihilistic student, Hogbin. Through all twelve Troys, Savage and Helen struggle with a passion both intellectual and physical, and the idea of beauty is refined to a terrifying degree. In Brutopia Barkers controversial portrait of the humanist Thomas More is shaped around his strained relationship with his daughter Cecilia, here discovered to be the author of a counter-text to her parents infamous Utopia. Cecilias wit and cruelty mark her out as one of Barkers least compromising and heroic young women. The Forty is a significant departure from Barkers dramatic practice, his investment in language reduced to a few phrases which punctuate detailed scenes of conflict and solitude. Physical movement, and intense concentration on gesture show the authors flair for visuality in a new and surprising way. The theme of sacrifice features increasingly in Barkers theatre, and in Wonder and Worship in the Dying Ward it is a mothers refusal to apologize for an act of passion notwithstanding the dire consequence for her own child that is at the heart of the argument. Set in a home for terminally-ill patients, many of whom create a hilarious chorus around the protagonists, Wonder and Worship in the Dying Ward shows Barkers imagination in its most startling form.

Author Bio

Howard Barker's first play was performed at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in 1970. Subsequently, his works were played by the Royal Court, Royal Shakespeare Company, The Open Space Theatre, Sheffield Crucible and the Almeida. He is currently Artistic Director of The Wrestling School, a company established to disseminate his works and develop his theory of production. His work is played extensively in Europe, in translation, in the United States, and in Australia. He writes regularly for radio, both in England and Europe. He is the author of plays for marionettes and has written three librettos for opera. Howard Barker is the author of two works of theory, and five volumes of poetry. He is also a painter. His work is held in national collections in England (V&A, London) and Europe.