Granville Barker's Ensemble as a Model of Fabian Theatre

Abstract

While the dialogical relationship between the early twentieth-century British theatre and the rise of socialism is well documented, analysis has tended to focus on the role of the playwright in the dissemination of socialist ideas. As a contrast, in this article Philippa Burt examines the directorial work of Harley Granville Barker, arguing that his plans for a permanent ensemble company were rooted in his position as a member of the Fabian Society. With reference to Pierre Bourdieu's concept of habitus and Maria Shevtsova's development of it in reference to the theatre, this article identifies a correlation between Barker's political and artistic approaches through extrapolating the central tenets of his theory on ensemble theatre and analyzing them alongside the central tenets of Fabianism. Philippa Burt is currently completing her PhD in the Department of Theatre and Performance at Goldsmiths, University of London. This article is developed from a paper presented at the conference on ‘Politics, Performance, and Popular Culture in Nineteenth-Century Britain’ at the University of Lancaster in July 2011.

From the Western Front to the East Coast: Barker's The Trojan Women in the USA

“…Not only did the invitation guarantee him a fund of £25,000, but it also gave him the freedom to choose his own plays and offered the promise of establishing in New York what had proved impossible in London, namely, a permanent repertory company operating along ensemble lines. 9 Again to Shaw, he explained: 'I come to America to keep flying the flag.' 10 For its own part, the Stage Society was keen to engage a European director of repute so American audiences could see for themselves the theatrical experiments taking place across the Atlantic.…”

The Merry Wives of Moscow: Komisarjevsky, Shakespeare, and Russophobia in the British Theatre

“…By way of proof, one need only consider Harley Granville Barker, whose promotion of ensemble playing in the first two decades of the 1900s faced hostile resistance from sections of the theatre establishment, as I have argued previously. 8 This atmosphere of suspicion was legitimated by recent legislative changes that spelled the end of the earlier 'pro-alien' traditions of asylum in Britain.…”