David Barnett – författare

'A brooding tale from the murky depths below the English idyll. Coastal-horror at its finest' Matt WesolowskiThe sea never forgets. The sea never forgivesScuttler's Cove is a working village, nestling in dramatic coastal scenery in Cornwall, where life has gone on uninterrupted for centuries until this seaside idyll was discovered by the rich.Now the quaint harbour-front cottages have been snapped up by second-homers and rental companies, and the locals can barely afford to live in their own town.It is a very different place for Merrin Moon, who left for university at the age of eighteen and never looked back. Now in her thirties, she returns to the Cove for the first time since, after the death of her mother.She soon discovers that there are forces at play in the village that she could never have imagined. Is someone trying to drive out the second homers? And has their arrival started a chain of events none of them will be able to stop?For something old and terrible is awakening beneath the town's hallowed ground. And with it comes a horror that the residents have fought for generations to keep a secret.A dark and mysterious folk horror of the sea, and a timely exploration of the displacement of our modern moment, with a twist that will leave you reeling.Praise for Scuttler's Cove 'There's a rich vein of horror to be mined here, and Barnett's doing a great job of excavating it' SFX'An eerie tale of folk horror, as old gods and locals with age-old roots come into conflict with new money and the modern world, with a satisfying supernatural showdown, and a twist you won't see coming' Jane Johnson'Swarming spiders, vicious crabs, fish-headed revenants ... these are terrifying enough, but they're also the least scary things in Scuttler's Cove. It's the people you have to watch out for... a brutal, brilliant novel of folk horror and dread' Tim Lebbon'It feels like a modern version of The Wicker Man, in the best possible way and with its own unique take' Reader review'Wow, just wow. David Barnett is my new go-to for folk horror' Reader review'Filled with great characters, a downright creepy unsettling narrative, and surprises in store which you won't see coming, this is a must-read folk horror novel' Reader review'Very well-written. Dark, compelling and atmospheric' Reader review'Folk horror at its finest leads to an intensely satisfying and fantastic ending that will have you actually cheering' Reader review'Another gem! Scuttler's Cove takes you on a wild ride of mystery, intrigue, and horrific folklore' Reader review'The bright, beachy atmosphere with a looming undercurrent of something dark and sinister kept the tension high I found myself itching to read more when I wasn't actively reading it' Reader review'I came for the crab on the cover, stayed for the folk horror a timely and atmospheric horror novel' Reader review

Using extensive and untapped archival material as well as a series of in-depth interviews with Fassbinder's main theatre associates, this book offers commentary on and insights into Fassbinder's plays, his dramaturgies and staging practice. David Barnett helps to unlock the much discussed theatricality of Fassbinder's films by showing its many concrete sources. The first study of Fassbinder's work in the theatre, as a playwright and director, this book gives a full contextualisation of his work within the upheavals of its times. Readers are introduced to the cultural history of the West German theatre in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Radicalism in society meets experiment on stage as Fassbinder emerges from the cellar theatre scene of Munich, co-founds the antiteater and is then integrated into the most subsidised theatre in Europe, before being offered his own theatre to run for one fateful season.

Using extensive and untapped archival material as well as a series of in-depth interviews with Fassbinder's main theatre associates, this book offers commentary on and insights into Fassbinder's plays, his dramaturgies and staging practice. David Barnett helps to unlock the much discussed theatricality of Fassbinder's films by showing its many concrete sources. The first study of Fassbinder's work in the theatre, as a playwright and director, this book gives a full contextualisation of his work within the upheavals of its times. Readers are introduced to the cultural history of the West German theatre in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Radicalism in society meets experiment on stage as Fassbinder emerges from the cellar theatre scene of Munich, co-founds the antiteater and is then integrated into the most subsidised theatre in Europe, before being offered his own theatre to run for one fateful season.

Nineteenth century London is the centre of a vast British Empire. Airships ply the skies and Queen Victoria presides over three-quarters of the known world - including the East Coast of America, following the failed revolution of 1775. London might as well be a world away from Sandsend, a tiny village on the Yorkshire coast. Gideon Smith dreams of the adventure promised him by the lurid tales of Captain Lucian Trigger, the Hero of the Empire, told in Gideon's favourite "penny dreadful." When Gideon's father is lost at sea in highly mysterious circumstances Gideon is convinced that supernatural forces are at work. Deciding only Captain Lucian Trigger himself can aid him, Gideon sets off for London. On the way he rescues the mysterious mechanical girl Maria from a tumbledown house of shadows and iniquities. Together they make for London, where Gideon finally meets Captain Trigger. But Trigger is little more than an aging fraud, providing cover for the covert activities of his lover, Dr. John Reed, a privateer and sometime agent of the British Crown. Looking for heroes but finding only frauds and crooks, it falls to Gideon to step up to the plate and attempt to save the day ...but can a humble fisherman really become the true Hero of the Empire?

The leading publication on Brecht, his work, and topics of interest to him; this annual volume documents the International Brecht Society's 2016 symposium, "Recycling Brecht."Published for the International Brecht Society by Camden House, the Brecht Yearbook is the central scholarly forum for discussion of Brecht's life and work and of topics of particular interest to him, especially the politics of literature and of theater in a global context. It includes a wide variety of perspectives and approaches, and, like Brecht himself, is committed to the concept of the use value of literature, theater, and theory.Volume42 features a selection of the papers given and protocols of the events held at the International Brecht Society's "Recycling Brecht" symposium at St. Hugh's College, Oxford, in June 2016. The theme of recycling is understood bothas a description of Brecht's own creative practice and as an activity applied to his works by others. The volume includes keynote papers by Hans-Thies Lehmann and Amal Allana on Brecht's reception of Antigone and on the reception and recycling of Brecht in India, respectively. Other papers are on a wide range of topics, from Brecht's own "recycling" of Shakespeare and others, through the reception of his own works in a range of contexts and by later writers, to contemporary works that may be understood as post-Brechtian. The final section, introduced by an extended interview with American playwright Tony Kushner, documents additional creative responses to the theme.Volume co-editors Tom Kuhn and David Barnett are, respectively, Professor of Twentieth-Century German Literature at the University of Oxford and Professor of Theatre at the University of York. Managing Editor Theodore F. Rippey is Associate Professor of German at Bowling Green State University.

This Element proposes a novel way of defining, understanding and approaching theatricality, a term that exists both in the theatre and, more broadly, in everyday life. It argues that four foundational, material processes of theatre-making manifest themselves in all playtexts in both overt and covert forms. Each of the four sections defines a different theatrical process, explores its functions in two chosen playtexts and examines its implications for the wider experience of the spectators outside the theatre. The Element concludes with a supplementary reflection on performance to show how even seemingly untheatrical playtexts can be analysed and staged to reveal their unspoken theatricality. It also argues that this new understanding of theatricality has a politics, that the artifice of any theatre and the constructedness of any society are analogous and that both, consequently, can be fundamentally changed. This Element is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

This Element proposes a novel way of defining, understanding and approaching theatricality, a term that exists both in the theatre and, more broadly, in everyday life. It argues that four foundational, material processes of theatre-making manifest themselves in all playtexts in both overt and covert forms. Each of the four sections defines a different theatrical process, explores its functions in two chosen playtexts and examines its implications for the wider experience of the spectators outside the theatre. The Element concludes with a supplementary reflection on performance to show how even seemingly untheatrical playtexts can be analysed and staged to reveal their unspoken theatricality. It also argues that this new understanding of theatricality has a politics, that the artifice of any theatre and the constructedness of any society are analogous and that both, consequently, can be fundamentally changed. This Element is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

The Berliner Ensemble was founded by Bertolt Brecht and his wife Helene Weigel in 1949. The company soon gained international prominence, and its productions and philosophy influenced the work of theatre-makers around the world. David Barnett's book is the first study of the company in any language. Based on extensive archival research, it uncovers Brecht's working methods and those of the company's most important directors after his death. The book considers the boon and burden of Brecht's legacy, and provides new insights into battles waged behind the scenes for the preservation of the Brechtian tradition. The Berliner Ensemble was also the German Democratic Republic's most prestigious cultural export, attracting attention from the highest circles of government, and from the Stasi, before it privatised itself after German reunification in 1990. Barnett pieces together a complex history that sheds light on both the company's groundbreaking productions and their turbulent times.

The Berliner Ensemble was founded by Bertolt Brecht and his wife Helene Weigel in 1949. The company soon gained international prominence, and its productions and philosophy influenced the work of theatre-makers around the world. David Barnett's book is the first study of the company in any language. Based on extensive archival research, it uncovers Brecht's working methods and those of the company's most important directors after his death. The book considers the boon and burden of Brecht's legacy, and provides new insights into battles waged behind the scenes for the preservation of the Brechtian tradition. The Berliner Ensemble was also the German Democratic Republic's most prestigious cultural export, attracting attention from the highest circles of government, and from the Stasi, before it privatised itself after German reunification in 1990. Barnett pieces together a complex history that sheds light on both the company's groundbreaking productions and their turbulent times.

"I’m good Hamlet gi’me a cause for grief"At first glance, readers of The Hamletmachine (1979) could be forgiven for wondering whether it is actually a play at all: it opens with a montage of texts that are not ascribed to a character, there is no vestige of a plot, and the whole piece lasts a total of ten pages.Yet, Heiner Müller’s play regularly features in theatres’ repertoires and is frequently staged by university theatre departments. In four short chapters, David Barnett unpicks the complexities of The Hamletmachine’s writing and frames its author as an experimental, politically committed writer who confronts the shortcomings of his age. In considering the problems Müller poses for the play’s performance, he also discusses two exemplary productions in order to show how the work can engage very different audiences.This book examines why such a compact, radically open, and yet seemingly obscure play has proved so popular.

""I'm good Hamlet gi'me a cause for grief""At first glance, readers of The Hamletmachine (1979) could be forgiven for wondering whether it is actually a play at all: it opens with a montage of texts that are not ascribed to a character, there is no vestige of a plot, and the whole piece lasts a total of ten pages.Yet, Heiner Müller's play regularly features in theatres' repertoires and is frequently staged by university theatre departments. In four short chapters, David Barnett unpicks the complexities of The Hamletmachine's writing and frames its author as an experimental, politically committed writer who confronts the shortcomings of his age. In considering the problems Müller poses for the play's performance, he also discusses two exemplary productions in order to show how the work can engage very different audiences.This book examines why such a compact, radically open, and yet seemingly obscure play has proved so popular.

By 1800, London was regarded as the world's greatest city, at the centre of the world's greatest empire. London: Hub of the Industrial Revolution examines this and also explores how London was at the heart of the Industrial Revolution. Traditionally, historians have regard the city as a minor player in the Industrial Revolution but, in this book, David Barnett argues that the capital was at the forefront of industrial development, providing financial aid and essential services to other towns and cities.Based on original archival material, including insurance records and trade directories, this book paints a portrait of London during a period of rapid and unprecedented development as the world's first great modern industrial city.

This volume surveys and assesses the contributions of Vsevolod Meyerhold, Erwin Piscator and Bertolt Brecht to theatre-making, which richly exemplify the range of ways that directors address dramatic material, theatrical space and their audiences. Their directorial work marks an unmistakeable interest in developing the political potential of theatre in the early 20th century, although each director offered more to their actors, collaborators and spectators than simply the staging of politics and the political.

David Barnett invites readers, students and theatre-makers to discover new ways of apprehending and making use of Brecht in this clear and accessible study of Brecht's theories and practices. The book analyses how Brecht’s ideas can come alive in rehearsal and performance, and reveals just how carefully Brecht realized his vision of a politicized, interventionist theatre.What emerges is a nuanced understanding of Brecht’s concepts, his work with actors and his approaches to directing. The reader is encouraged to engage with his method which sought to ‘make theatre politically’, in order to appreciate the innovations he introduced into his stagecraft. Barnett provides many examples of how Brecht's ideas can be staged, and the final chapter takes a closer look at two very different plays: one written by Brecht and one by a playwright with no acknowledged connection to Brecht. Through an interrogation of The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui and Patrick Marber’s Closer, Barnett asks how a Brechtian approach can enliven and illuminate production.

David Barnett invites readers, students and theatre-makers to discover new ways of apprehending and making use of Brecht in this clear and accessible study of Brecht's theories and practices. The book analyses how Brecht’s ideas can come alive in rehearsal and performance, and reveals just how carefully Brecht realized his vision of a politicized, interventionist theatre.What emerges is a nuanced understanding of Brecht’s concepts, his work with actors and his approaches to directing. The reader is encouraged to engage with his method which sought to ‘make theatre politically’, in order to appreciate the innovations he introduced into his stagecraft. Barnett provides many examples of how Brecht's ideas can be staged, and the final chapter takes a closer look at two very different plays: one written by Brecht and one by a playwright with no acknowledged connection to Brecht. Through an interrogation of The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui and Patrick Marber’s Closer, Barnett asks how a Brechtian approach can enliven and illuminate production.

This volume contains Brecht’s post-1950 adaptations of world dramatic classics for the Berliner Ensemble. Brecht’s remodeled versions show all of the great dramatist’s characteristic preoccupations: hatred of personal greatness, admiration of the people and hatred of war unless waged on behalf of the people who, to him, were the embodiment of wisdom and good sense.The Tutor is a 1950s adaptation of an 18th century play by J.M.R. Lenz and is a savage portrait of the subservience of German intellectuals and schoolmasters to the whims of the rich and powerful. Coriolanus is an unfinished adaptation of Shakespeare’s play, using the Roman story to reflect Marxist theories of class struggle. Don Juan, a collaborative adaptation of Molière’s play, redefines the charming social parasite as both a ridiculous egoist and an example of a dangerously attractive, theatrically mythic personality type. The Trial of Joan of Arc at Rouen adapts a radio play by Anna Seghers which was based on the original records of the trial of Joan of Arc. Trumpets and Drums is an adaptation of Farquhar’s 18th century Restoration comedy The Recruiting Officer, which transfers the action to the American Civil War and introduces comments on imperialism and colonial conquest.

With over 80 scholarly articles, reviews, and critical interventions from the last 50 years, Bertolt Brecht: Critical and Primary Sources set covers the key periods of Brecht’s life, from his time in Augsburg (1898–1918) through the Weimer Republic (1918–1933), exile (1933–1948) and the German Democratic Republic (1949–1956). It also explores his theories, fundamentally his belief in the theatre’s ability to represent and change the world, core practices and relationships. Alongside primary sources that include writings by Brecht published in English for the first time, such as his short but important reflection in ‘originality’ in theatre production, key featured scholars include Fredric Jameson and his essay ‘Episch, or, the Third Person’, and pieces on Brecht’s collaborative working methods by Claus and Wera Küchenmeister, and the director Egon Monk.Volume 1 covers Brecht's life and work, including essays on his famous Mother Courage and Her Children, production reviews, poetry, novels and short stories, with some thoughts on his journals. Volume 2 covers theory, containing essays and primary writings on Brechtian terminology, and some of the more enigmatic terms like ‘Epic theatre’, ‘Verfremdung’, ‘Gestus’ and ‘Fabel’, features a survey of important theoretical works, a section on Brecht on non-theatre media, his relationship to other major thinkers, ideas and sources and the reception of his ideas. Volume 3 covers practice, including Brecht’s practice as documenter and director, beginning with his disastrous start in the Weimar Republic through to his later role as director as the Berliner Ensemble, his relationships with other practitioners and his own collaborators, reviews of important productions and global receptions.Each volume includes a contextualizing introduction surveying the topics covered and the development of scholarship on Brecht.

Privileged thinking in today's schools is alive and well and shows its ugly head in a variety of ways that often go undetected (or are not addressed) by the educators down in the trenches. In this collection of scenarios and episodes, many of which were experienced by the authors in their years as school administrators, you will find an array of provocative examples of social injustice in the classroom, and what you can do to prevent it in your own school community. As the authors candidly and vulnerably reveal their own 'blind spots' and biases that occurred 'on their watch,' readers will be able to take a look in the mirror as well, thus taking a critical step in better advocating for those students 'left on the fringe' in classrooms and schools.

Privileged thinking in today's schools is alive and well and shows its ugly head in a variety of ways that often go undetected (or are not addressed) by the educators down in the trenches. In this collection of scenarios and episodes, many of which were experienced by the authors in their years as school administrators, you will find an array of provocative examples of social injustice in the classroom, and what you can do to prevent it in your own school community. As the authors candidly and vulnerably reveal their own 'blind spots' and biases that occurred 'on their watch,' readers will be able to take a look in the mirror as well, thus taking a critical step in better advocating for those students 'left on the fringe' in classrooms and schools.

"The joy of Regened is that it’s a proper all-ages thing, something for young and old" - Comicon.com**{::}2000 AD*'s all ages science fiction anthology series returns with a fourth thrill-powered collection of epic, action packed stories featuring all of your favourite characters and a brand new, exclusive *Harlem Heroes strip! Cadet Dredd goes undercover as a renegade runaway! It's the Harlem Heroes versus the Harlem Hellcats in the most dangerous - and deadly - aeroball game Mega-City One's ever seen! Does Chopper have what it takes to evade the Judges and win the Sky Surfing competition? Travel to other dimensions with Jaina and Jacen in 'Splorers! It's the Galaxy's best and brightest all-ages comic - it's 2000 AD Regened!

Political conflicts on Earth erupt into open hostilities between their colonies in space, with Xenomorphs as the ultimate weapon.Political tensions boil over on Earth, spreading to the outer fringes of known space as the UK colony of New Albion breaks with the Three World Empire. When an oil-drilling facility on nearby LV-187 is destroyed, its French colonists slaughtered, the British are blamed. Military forces arrive from the Independent Core Systems and combat erupts. Trapped in the middle are Cher Hunt and Chad Mclaren. Cher is trying to find out who was responsible for the death of her sister, Shy Hunt (of McAllen Integrations from Alien: Into Charybdis). At the same time Mclaren, accompanied by the synthetic known as Davis, follows in the footsteps of his late wife, Amanda Ripley, seeking to stop the weaponization of Xenomorphs. When a horde of the deadly aliens overwhelms both groups, however, their only hope may lie with Royal Marine Corps unit known as "God's Hammer."

'A terrific, unexpected twist' Guardian 'Withered Hill is the ultimate nightmare destination' Laird BarronInsideA year ago Sophie Wickham stumbled into the isolated Lancashire village of Withered Hill, naked, alone and with no memory of who she is.Surrounded by a thick ring of woodland, its inhabitants seem to be of another world, drenched in pagan, folklorish traditions.As Sophie struggles to regain the memories of her life from before, she quickly realises she is a prisoner after multiple failed escape attempts. But is it the locals who keep her trapped, with smiles on their faces, or something else, lurking in the woods?OutsideIn London, Sophie leads a chaotic life, with too many drunken nights, inappropriate men and boring temp jobs. But things take a turn as she starts to be targeted by strange messages warning her that someone, or something, is coming for her.With no idea who to trust, or where to turn for help, the messages become more insistent and more intimidating, urging Sophie to make her way to a place called Withered HillAn utterly bewitching, dual timeline folk horror novel, with a truly devastating twist you have to read to believe.Praise for Withered Hill 'Eerie, erotic and engrossing, David Barnett's Withered Hill is a masterpiece of folkloric horror, one I suspect shall henceforth be mentioned in the same breath as The Wicker Man, as it well and truly deserves to be' Kealan Patrick Burke, Bram Stoker Award winning author of Sour Candy'A bloody masterpiece Black Mirror meets The Wicker Man' Mark Stay, author of The Witches of Woodville series'Haunting, shocking and beautifully written, Withered Hill lures you into a strange town where everything is slightly off-kilter, and then invites you to try and escape. But you can't. And neither will you escape the draw of this brilliant, almost hypnotic novel, which is one of my favourites of the year' Tim Lebbon'Midsommar, Evil Dead and Stepford Wives all in one, this twisted dark fairytale rooted in the modern world had me too scared to walk my dog in broad daylight. Masterful storytelling, sinister, sick and funny if you're as warped as this folklore horror gem' Lisa Rookes, author of The Vanishing of Joni Blackwood'Withered Hill gets into you as the best folk horror tends to: the woods grow ever-deeper, the villagers more smilingly hostile as the escape routes shrink tighter than a keyhole. But there's much delight in being trapped in the hands of such an agile, clever, and knowing storyteller' Nick Cutter, author of The Troop'Beguiling, bewitching and brilliant. Withered Hill gets under your skin like some long-forgotten pagan spell and keeps you turning the pages late into the night.' Jeremy Dyson, from the League of Gentlemen

Their arrival could mean the end of everything...The remote, isolated village of Withered Hill is rocked by unexpected visitors, a film crew hoping to make a low-budget horror movie.Despite the villagers' misgivings, the small crew insists on staying, desiring to put their plans for the film Twisted Pike into action.They are not in Withered Hill by accident. But they are not there to make a film. They are there to destroy this cursed place, and all who live there.The reverberations of their attempts will be felt across the nation, and by the ancient gods who exist beneath the ground, waiting for their chance to rise once againAn utterly bewitching folk horror novel of apocalyptic proportions from the author of Withered Hill. Perfect for fans of Andrew Michael Hurley and A.M. Shine.

'An agile and compelling storyteller' Nick Cutter1865. Coal lies beneath Scratch Moss Hall and Lord Henry Brody is determined to get to it. But something else lurks below, something dark and evil.1905. Reverend George Ackman has never known such godless people as those of Scratch Moss. But if not God, what do they believe in?1945. Arthur works for the Coal Commission, visiting privately-owned pits ahead of their nationalisation. On his visit to Scratch Moss, he finds only misery and death.1985. The miners have lost. Thatcher reigns supreme. And in the shattered community of Scratch Moss, rumours resurface about Red Clogs, a terrible presence in the land below.2025. Divorced, fifty-something writer Joe returns to his hometown of Scratch Moss for the funeral of his father. Soon the memories of Joe's teenage years, and the horror that blighted the community, come flooding backA devastating, five-timeline tale centred on a community first invigorated, then devastated by the coal mining industry in the most original folk horror novel of the year.Praise for Scratch Moss'A creepy folk horror set in an old mining town which moves between generations to slowly build a picture of a town complicit in some terrible things. Really loved this one!' Sarah PinboroughWhat readers are saying about Scratch Moss'David Barnett may just be the new king of British Folklore horror.''Holy CRAP. David Barnett is at the top of his game.''Wow! I am firmly convinced that David Barnett is simply a master of the folklore horror genre.''I can happily say this was phenomenal.''David has once again made the sleepy corners of England creepy, taking the mundane of everyday live and making it extraordinary.''Folk horror done right.''Earning a locked-in place in my 2026 Top 10.'

For as long as anyone can remember, Wychdusk Manor has been the school to which all the top magical novices are sent, where they are trained to become the world’s greatest wizards. Androgeus Frost, part of one of the wizarding worlds’ most esteemed families, always thought it was a sure thing he’d get in, but somehow finds himself dumped at Lowborn High. A struggling inner-city comprehensive school for those with mediocre magical talent, Androgeus finds himself with all the other duds, drop-outs, and those who don’t have the upper-class wizarding family background. Making friends with Maisy, Ali and Dril, soon the group of friends find there are mysteries to solve and the pupils of Lowborn High can still be capable of some truly amazing feats!