Valerie Scott and Philip Dutton are among the cast of the Great Poets Society’s production of Mother Courage and Her Children Great Poets Society

Valerie Scott and Philip Dutton are among the cast of the Great Poets Society’s production of Mother Courage and Her Children Great Poets Society

The Great Poets Society presents an abridged version of David Hare’s translation of Mother Courage and Her Children at the Berdorf amphitheatre.

It is a role that has attracted some of the greatest actresses of the 20th century, including playwright Bertolt Brecht’s wife Helene Weigel, Simone Signoret, Lotte Lenya, Liv Ullman, Hanna Schygulla, Anne Bancroft, Diana Rigg, Meryl Streep and Fiona Shaw. Mother Courage is an iconic figure at the centre of a masterful piece of theatre that had Oskar Eustis, the award-winning artistic director for NYC’s Public Theater, hailing it as the greatest play of the twentieth century.

Now the Great Poets Society, a multicultural ensemble from the University of Luxembourg, is bringing the play to Luxembourg audiences. An abridged version in English of British playwright David Hare’s acclaimed translation, which director Natalie Schmidt says “makes Brecht’s work accessible to all without reducing their intellectual aspirations… which Brecht would certainly have welcomed, because he showed solidarity with the ‘working class’.”

Schmidt says that Hare manages to deliver the essentials of the play “with an impressive clarity” and that his version works very well for what modern audiences are demanding in these fast-paced times.

Mother Courage and Her Children tells the story of the title character’s experiences as she and her three offspring struggle to survive during the 30 Years War. Being Brecht, there is humour and tragedy and in his critical take on war and those who would profit from it. It is a play that remains relevant today, because the reasons wars are waged has not changed in 400 years, says Schmidt. “We should question capitalism through Brecht’s play… because capitalism and greed are the reasons why there have been and [continue to be] wars. We currently have more than 20 wars across the world. We must get that into people’s heads. Today, modern weapons are more unscrupulous than ever. Unless we stop trading weapons for profit, we’ll [continue to] have wars, and torture.”

The performance, a one-off on Sunday 12 September, features ensemble actors from the Great Poets Society, including some faces familiar to audiences who have been following English-language theatre in the grand duchy including Valerie Scott, Veronica Badea, Aymeric Fouquier d'Herouel and Philip Dutton.

The amphitheatre is situated about 600m from the centre of Berdorf. There is ample parking and the amphitheatre is just a short walk into the forest. Even if it is in the open air, it is a CovidCheck event and advance reservation is required. But entrance is free.

Mother Courage and Her Children is performed on Sunday 12 September at 5pm at the Breechkaul amphitheatre. More information and online bookings via .