the threepenny opera
"There was nothing 'lovely' about that, you idiot. That was art is what that was."
The coronation is looming, London is restless, and no-one is safe from the corrupt Mr and Mrs Peachum. When their daughter elopes in the middle of the night, a man-hunt begins through the grimy backstreets, brothels, and gallows of the city beyond morality, scouring the East End for her crime-lord husband. Mack the Knife is back.
by BERTOLT BRECHT and KURT WEILL
in a new adaptation by SIMON STEPHENS
October 2018, Oxford Playhouse
Producer
The Threepenny Opera was performed at the 600-seat Oxford Playhouse, with a budget of £26,000 and a crew of over 70. It was the first production of Simon Stephens’ bold new adaptation of Brecht’s libretto since its debut at the National Theatre in 2016, and was accompanied by an outreach campaign aimed to improve access to the arts in secondary schools, and events such as an interview with Simon Stephens on stage at the Oxford Playhouse.
The production gave our student cast and crew the opportunity to work in a larger space, allowing our designers to push the scope of their work and our cast to build skills and experience. It enjoyed both critical acclaim - with Oxford Opening Night praising it as “how it’s supposed to be done” and Cherwell describing it as “not to be missed” and “a compelling performance that is both unsettling and wonderfully entertaining” - and financial success.
“Morality is not a simple matter!"
Produced with SLAM Theatre.