ΑΠΟΤΥΠΩΜΑΤΑ
The art of comedic plays
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ΑΠΟΤΥΠΩΜΑΤΑ
When most young people hear the word
‘ Theatre’, they tend to think about dramatic, hours – long plays, filled with long pauses and theatrical dialogues. They think that theatre is an outdated activity that could not possibly be entertaining. However, what most of them seem to forget is that theatre is not always about drama, romance or philosophy. Many award – winning plays, that have captured the attention of various audiences have been comedies.
Contrary to popular belief, comedies are not a modern concept. They have existed for a very long time. In fact, the 11 surviving plays of Aristophanes represent the earliest body of comic drama; what is known of Greek Old Comedy is derived from these plays, the earliest of which, The Acharnians, was produced in 425 BC.
They have always been considered a great way of relaxing and amusing yourself, no matter whether they’ re rom – coms, dramatic comedies or even political comedies, regardless of the viewer’ s age. But which ones are some of the best? Well, here are 3 of the most diverse and loved ones in my opinion:
First, of all is of course a modern comedy known for its hilarious plot that never fails to make people die of laughter, The Play That Goes Wrong. In this seemingly normal play, everything starts out just as a normal murder mystery would. However, as the play progresses, disaster strikes. A series of unfortunate events seems to occur, including doors sticking, props falling from the walls and failing in numerous ways, actors fainting and floors collapsing. In the end, virtually the whole of the remaining set collapses, which turns out to be the main plot. It is a self – destructive play, directed by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields of Mischief Theatre Company that you’ re guaranteed to absolutely adore!
The Taming of the Shrew is another well – loved, classic comedy. Usually, when one thinks of Shakespeare, he thinks about plays like Hamlet or Romeo and Juliet. Hardly ever does one think about this specific play, because they can’ t seem to fandom the possibility of him actually writing a comedy that might have the viewer laughing their head off. The main plot revolves around the courtship and marriage of Petruchio and Katherina. Katherina is forced by her father to marry Petruchio, because no one else wanted to marry her. Initially, Katherina unwillingly participates in the relationship. However, Petruchio“ tames” her with numerous psychological and physical tricks and tortures, such as not letting her eat, drink or sleep, until she becomes a pleasing and obedient bride. The secondary plot presents a competition between the suitors of Katherina’ s younger sister, Bianca, who is thought to be the“ perfect” woman. The play is considered highly controversial as many people believe it to be misogynistic. It also explores themes such as gender roles and social expectations.
Last but not least, one mustn’ t forget about Home, I’ m Darling, a contemporary comedy that is not only hilarious but also resolves around modern problems. With six nominations and a win for best play at the 2019 Olivier awards, it successfully came with a bang on its debut. The play circles around the life of Judy, who is the perfect housewife of the 50s. She spends her time making flawless devil eggs, baking cakes, and being the ideal stay – at – home wife for her husband, Johnny. They are absolutely happy with their life as it is. Their only problem is that it is not the 1950s, it is now, and Judy and Johnny’ s picture – perfect world begins to slip away when financial problems come into play. It’ s a play guaranteed to make even the grumpiest of people crack up.
In conclusion, comedies are a great way for one to entertain themselves. It doesn’ t matter whether you’ re 16 or 50, or what type of plays you prefer, there is always one that is going to make you crack up and forget all about your worries and problems, even just for a little.
Danae Papageorgiou γ6