On Wednesday 12^th October, we went on a German theatre trip to see one of Brecht’s Lehrstück (learning) plays: The Caucasian Chalk Circle (performed in English). Set in the 13^th Century but in the context of post-WWII, the production presented a young woman taking many risks to save a baby that had been abandoned by a Governor and his wife. Many years later, when the Governor’s wife returns for her son, the test of the ‘chalk circle’ decides which of the two women is the boy’s ‘real’ mother. I found this a gripping play, and I particularly thought that the vocals were very impressive. Being a learning play, it gave the audience a chance to come up with their own decision on what was morally correct for the boy at the end of the play.

Charlotte M, UV

Photograph: Michael Wharley