View metadata, citation and similarbrought COREpapers to youat core.ac.ukby provided by OTHES DIPLOMARBEIT Titel der Diplomarbeit „The Plays of Richard Bean: Development and Interpretation“ Verfasserin Martina Theissl angestrebter akademischer Grad Magistra der Philosophie (Mag.phil.) Wien, 2012 Studienkennzahl lt. Studienblatt: A 343 Studienrichtung lt. Studienblatt: Diplomstudium Anglistik und Amerikanistik Betreuerin: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Margarete Rubik Acknowledgements I would like to express gratitude to Richard Bean, who allowed me to interview him in August 2011. The conversation gave me interesting insights into his work as a playwright and it was highly beneficial for this thesis. I also thank Aleks Sierz for taking the time for sharing his knowledge about London's theatrical landscape in a personal talk. I would like to thank Professor Rubik for encouraging me to pursue my interest in this project and Professor Huber for his help during my research. Being able to realise my dream of researching in London was due to their generous help. I am also deeply grateful to the people who helped me with corrections and revisions. I dedicate this thesis to my family, who did not only help me through the more difficult phases while writing this thesis, but who were also my constant support during my studies. I am tremendously thankful for their continuing encouragement of my passions. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 1 2. Becoming Richard Bean – Some Biographical Observations ................................. 4 3. Bean's Initial Phase as a Playwright (1996 - 2002) .................................................. 7 3.1. Linearity and Conventionality ........................................................................... 7 3.2. Toast (1999) ..................................................................................................... 10 3.2.1. Introduction and General Information ............................................. 10 3.2.2. Genre ............................................................................................... 12 3.2.3. Characters ........................................................................................ 13 3.2.4. Time-span and Structure ................................................................. 16 3.2.5. Setting .............................................................................................. 18 3.2.6. Language and Style ......................................................................... 19 3.2.7. Summary of Themes ....................................................................... 21 3.3. Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 24 4. Bean's Plays of the Second Phase (2003-2008) ....................................................... 26 4.1. Development from the old form ...................................................................... 26 4.2. Honeymoon Suite (2004) ................................................................................. 34 4.2.1. Introduction and General Information ............................................. 34 4.2.2. Genre ............................................................................................... 35 4.2.3. Characters ........................................................................................ 36 4.2.4. Time-span and Structure ................................................................. 40 4.2.5. Setting .............................................................................................. 42 4.2.6. Language and Style ......................................................................... 43 4.2.7. Summary of Themes ....................................................................... 45 4.3. Harvest (2005) ................................................................................................. 47 4.3.1. Introduction and General Information ............................................. 47 4.3.2. Genre ............................................................................................... 48 4.3.3. Characters ........................................................................................ 50 4.3.4. Time-span and Structure ................................................................. 53 4.3.5. Setting .............................................................................................. 55 4.3.6. Language and Style ......................................................................... 56 4.3.7. Summary of Themes ....................................................................... 58 4.4. Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 61 5. Bean's Most Recent Phase (2009-2011) .................................................................. 64 5.1. Challenging the Orthodoxy ............................................................................. 64 5.2. England People Very Nice (2009) ................................................................... 68 5.2.1. Introduction and General Information ............................................. 68 5.2.2. Genre ............................................................................................... 70 5.2.3. Characters ........................................................................................ 71 5.2.4. Time-span and Structure ................................................................. 75 5.2.5. Setting .............................................................................................. 77 5.2.6. Language and Style ......................................................................... 79 5.2.7. Summary of Themes ....................................................................... 83 5.3. The Heretic (2011) .......................................................................................... 88 5.3.1. Introduction and General Information ............................................. 88 5.3.2. Genre ............................................................................................... 89 5.3.3. Characters ........................................................................................ 91 5.3.4. Time-span and Structure ................................................................. 94 5.3.5. Setting .............................................................................................. 95 5.3.6. Language and Style ......................................................................... 97 5.3.7. Summary of Themes ....................................................................... 99 5.4. Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 102 6. Final Statement ....................................................................................................... 105 7. Bibliography ............................................................................................................ 108 7.1. Primary sources ............................................................................................. 108 7.2. Secondary sources ......................................................................................... 108 7.2.1. Print sources .................................................................................. 108 7.2.2. Non-print Sources ......................................................................... 112 8. Index ........................................................................................................................ 115 9. Zusammenfassung .................................................................................................. 118 1 1. Introduction Richard Bean is described as being one of the most interesting playwrights in London's theatrical landscape of the new century. His creative work extends over a period of 15 years and during his career he has established himself as a playwright who constantly challenges his audience. In 2012, the year in which this thesis was written, it seems that the theatrical landscape of London needs Bean to challenge theatregoers, critics, and most of all the orthodoxy. For me, the most interesting aspect about the author is his mission to challenge. When interviewing the author in August 2011, there was one prominent incident that I remembered best. I asked about his motivation for writing, and after considering the question, he conclusively stated that the credo that was very important to him as a playwright was 'the challenging of the orthodoxy'.1 I remember the precise moment because Bean repeatedly put his finger down on the table and said "Write it down like this: 'challenging the orthodoxy'." Thus, provocation is what the playwright Richard Bean aspires to achieve in his plays. The work of this 55 year-old man, one of the most challenging forces in London’s theatrical scene, appeared highly appealing and interesting. I decided to investigate the phenomenon of Richard Bean by exploring his original plays as well as analysing theatre reviews and interviews both by Bean himself and by theatre critics. Since there is no substantial written work on either Bean's biography or oeuvre, this thesis will be concerned with providing an integral survey of his achievements. The aim of this thesis is to give an overview of Richard Bean's plays and to mark his development as a playwright. In order to achieve