In this chronicle of the European Thirty Years War and taking place
between the years 1624 and 1636, Mother Courage follows the armies back
and forth across Europe, selling provisions and liquor from her canteen
wagon to whomever she can. One by one she loses her children to the war
but will not part with her livelihood - the wagon. The Berlin production
of 1949, with Helene Weigel as Mother Courage, marked the foundation of
the Berliner Ensemble.
Considered by many to be one of the greatest anti-war plays ever written
and Brecht's masterpiece, the play is a powerful example of Epic Theatre
and Brecht's use of alienation
effect to focus attention not on individual characters but on the
issues of the play. This edition published in Methuen Drama's Modern
Classics series offers a full introduction as well as Brecht's own notes
and textual variants, setting it apart from all other editions available
in the English language. The play is presented in John Willett's trusted
translation.
'One of the greatest poets and dramatists of our century' (Observer).