https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/34578 Thu, 07 May 2026 13:34:00 GMT 2026-05-07T13:34:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/35429 Title: Authority, hierarchy and method in devised theatre Abstract: In this dissertation I intend to examine a particular contemporary theatre practice, specifically companies which take on this practice and their sustainability in the twenty-first century. Based on the works of recent practitioners, I will look at devised theatre and point out factors that have become predominant within this method of theatre creation. The study will analyse the relationship between theatre artists and collaborators. How is a company sustained if the main sources contributing to its growth are not only the individuals working within it but also its collaborators? Therefore, how does collaboration alter the need for specific distribution of tasks and roles within a theatre company? The primary role which is challenged through this kind of work, is naturally that of the director. I will look at the importance of the director, if at all, within the devising process, but also how that reflects the role of the director within the company as a whole. This then leads to other roles, which include the writer, actors, and technical team. However, my concern will not solely be that of the creatives, I will also be analysing the effects of collaboration on the whole structure of the company, even from a production point of view. Furthermore I will also touch upon the role of the actor within a contemporary company where ensemble work is one of the dominant factors of this kind of (devised) theatre. Where does this leave the actor? Has the actor lost his individuality or has this given the actor the space to grow? How is collaboration affecting the individual performer? Moreover, have theatre companies become less project-based and more concerned with actor training due to the nature of devising? And if so, how does this influence both the actor and the company? Attention will also be drawn to the role of the audience and whether this theatre is playing for its elites or whether it is reaching out to all audiences. More specifically, how does the collaborative aspect of this kind of theatre make this a theatre for everyone, if it does so? Does the space affect the kind of theatre which is being created? Or is this a mere factor that makes up the total process of creation. How does the commissioning entity come about in all of this? If a theatre company is being funded to devise a piece of work, then are they succumbing to the ethos of the higher hierarchal powers? Is the artistic vision of a company getting lost in the greater artistic vision of its buyer? Finally, my aim is to answer the following hypothetical question: Is there a formula for devised theatre companies? Who is the author, and who owns a piece of theatre if there are so many parts contributing to the final product? Does everyone follow a common structure or does every company have its own political structure, and therefore does the hierarchal structure of a devised piece depend on whoever is making it? Description: M.A.THEATRE&PERFORMANCE Mon, 01 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/35429 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/34980 Title: Tragedy and psychoanalysis : a study on the relationships between tragic forms and psychoanalytic techniques Abstract: This dissertation investigates different forms of tragedy and psychoanalytic techniques that arise from them. The research will focus on the rationalities between myth and plot, and between chance and fate in order to investigate how these affect the development of the character. Two tragedies will serve as points of reference, Oedipus Rex by Sophocles from the ancient Greek canon and Shakespeare’s Hamlet from the Elizabethan Renaissance. These tragedies were chosen in view of the fact that they are amongst the most analysed by psychoanalysts due to their complex characters in relation to the plot. In terms of contextualisation, I will start by reflecting on what Aristotle considered as the ideal tragedy. I will then proceed by outlining how ancient tragedy would develop into Shakespearean tragedy, how the idea of tragedy has been further transformed, and how psychoanalytic theories developed in relation to these transformations. Following this contextualisation I will analyse Oedipus Rex and Hamlet in relation to the theories that surround them. Starting with what is arguably the most famous theory by Sigmund Freud, the Oedipus Complex, I will also refer to Jacques Lacan’s (1901–81), Carl Gustav Jung’s (1875–1961), Friedrich Nietzsche’s (1844–1900), and Martin Heidegger‘s (1889–1971) views on Freud’s theory whilst including my own critical commentary on their views. In the case of Hamlet various theories developed around characters’ actions and decisions in relation to the plot. For the sake of this study I will focus on one, namely Jung’s theory on human archetypes and the idea of separating the psyche from the sub conscious. The psychoanalytic technique which developed out of Jung’s theory will be applied to articulate Hamlet’s sub conscious character. The separate analysis of each play will set the foundation for a comparative analysis of the two plays and their main characters with respect to the myth–plot dynamic in relation to fate and chance. This will allow me to highlight similarities and differences between Oedipus and Hamlet and how the various theories discussed in the previous chapters can be applied to both characters in their respective ways. The conclusion will deal with how the development of tragedy and psychoanalysis go hand in hand when analysing one another. Description: B.A.(HONS)HISTORY Mon, 01 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/34980 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/34971 Title: Theatre censorship in Malta : before, during and after the law Abstract: This dissertation addresses the phenomenon of theatre censorship in Malta. It starts with an overview of the initiatives taken by The Theatre Censorship Board established in 1937, with regard to plays and playwrights staged in Malta. It will then take as a case study the play Stitching, written by Antony Nielsen which the company Unifaun attempted to produce in 2009. This case, and certain initiatives by the Malta Council for the Arts can be considered as a starting point of the process that led to the change of the law in 2012. The legal process and the public opinion will be analyses from both the point of view of those in favour and against the removal of the censorship law. This dissertation will then analyse the impact of the removal of the law on society and on public opinion. It will also discuss the presence of censorship nowadays in particular with regard to self-censorship. Finally, this dissertation will propose that the fact of going beyond censorship may be seen as a process that provides an opportunity to generate healthy and constructive debate. Description: B.A.(HONS)THEATRE STUD. Mon, 01 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/34971 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/34918 Title: Community building through theatre practice Abstract: This dissertation tackles possible relationships between theatre and the building of communities by using by Dwal Ġodda, a theatre group which developed in the village of Għargħur, as case-study. Community theatre practice in Għargħur has the objective of strengthening the sense of community of the troupe that produces it, while also being a means of outreach to other communities inside and outside the village. An analysis of various theories about Community will be undertaken, namely community/ communitas, liminal/liminoid. These frame the discussion, while the practices of Ariane Mnouchkine and Augusto Boal provide pertinent examples from broader theatre scenarios. This dissertation will make a distinction between community theatre and theatre in the community, highlighting possibilities of interaction. Description: B.A.(HONS)THEATRE STUD. Mon, 01 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/34918 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z