In the history of theatre, there is long tradition of performances addressing issues of current events, especially those central to society itself. The
political satire performed by the
comic poets at the
theatres had considerable influence on
public opinion in the
Athenian democracy. Those earlier Western dramas, arising out of the
polis, or democratic
city-state of Greek society, were performed in amphitheaters, central arenas used for theatrical performances, religious ceremonies and political gatherings; these dramas had a ritualistic and social significance that enhanced the relevance of the political issues being examined.
Shakespeare is an author of political theatre according to some academic scholars, who observe that his history plays examine the machinations of personal drives and passions determining political activity and that many of the tragedies such as
King Lear and
Macbeth dramatize political leadership and complexity subterfuges of human beings driven by the lust for power. For example, they observe that
class struggle in the
Roman Republic is central to
Coriolanus. Historically in
Soviet Russia, the term political theatre was sometimes referred to as
agitprop theatre or simply
agitprop, after the
Soviet term
agitprop.
Recent political drama In later centuries, political theatre has sometimes taken a different form. Sometimes associated with
cabaret and folk theatre, it has offered itself as a theatre 'of, by, and for the people'. In this guise, political theatre has developed within the civil societies under oppressive governments as a means of actual underground communication and the spreading of critical thought. Following the war there was an influx of political theatre, as people needed to discuss the losses of the war. Often political theatre has been used to promote specific political theories or ideals, for example in the way agitprop theatre has been used to further
Marxism and the development of
communist sympathies. Russian agitprop theater was noted for its cardboard characters of perfect virtue and complete evil, and its coarse ridicule.
Realism in theatre Less radical versions of political theatre have become established within the mainstream modern repertory - such as the realist dramas of
Arthur Miller (
The Crucible and
All My Sons), which probe the behavior of human beings as social and political animals.
Feminist theatre A new form of political theatre emerged in the twentieth century with
feminist authors like
Elfriede Jelinek or
Caryl Churchill, who often make use of the non-realistic techniques detailed above.. During the 1960s and 1970s, new theatres emerged addressing women's issues. These theatres went beyond producing feminist plays, but also sought to give women opportunities and work experience in all areas of theatrical production which had heretofore been dominated by men. In addition to playwright, producers, and actors, there were opportunities for women electricians, set designers, musical director, stage managers, etc.
Brechtian theatre The Living Theatre, created by
Judith Malina and her husband
Julian Beck in 1947, which had its heyday in the 1960s, during the
Vietnam War, is a primary example of politically oriented Brechtian performance art in the United States. Their original productions of
Kenneth Brown's
The Brig (c. 1964), also filmed, and of
Jack Gelber's controversial play
The Connection and its 1961
film rely upon and illustrate the
dramaturgy of Brechtian
alienation effect (
Verfremdungseffekt) that most political theatre uses to some extent, forcing the audience to take a "critical perspective" on events being dramatized or projected on screen(s) and building on aspects of the
Theatre of Cruelty, which developed from the theory and practice of French early
surrealist and proto-
absurdist Antonin Artaud.
American regional theatre In American regional theatre, a politically oriented social orientation occurs in
Street theatre, such as that produced by the
San Francisco Mime Troupe and ROiL. The
Detroit Repertory Theatre has been among those regional theaters at the forefront of political comedy, staging plays like
Jacob M. Appel's
Arborophilia, in which a lifelong Democrat prefers that her daughter fall in love with a poplar tree instead of a Republican activist. In 2014, Chicago's
Annoyance Theater produced
Good Morning Gitmo: a one-act play by
Mishu Hilmy and Eric Simon which lampoons the
US Detention Center at Guantanamo Bay.
David Hare's play
Straight Line Crazy focuses on the life of
Robert Moses, played by
Ralph Fiennes, the controversial urban planner who worked in
New York.
English political theatre Kitchen sink realism or kitchen sink drama was a movement that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in theatre, art, novels, film, and television plays, whose protagonists usually could be described as "
angry young men" who were disillusioned with modern society. It used a style of
social realism to depict the lives of
working class Britons, and to explore controversial social and political issues ranging from abortion to homelessness. The film
It Always Rains on Sunday (1947) is a precursor of the genre, and
John Osborne's play
Look Back in Anger (1956) is an example of an early play in this genre. The
Iraq War is the focus of some recent British political drama; for example,
Stuff Happens, by
David Hare.
David Edgar and
Mark Ravenhill also satirize contemporary socio-political realities in their recent dramatic works.
Banner Theatre in
Birmingham, England, in the
United Kingdom, is an example of a specific kind of political theatre called
documentary theatre.
Scottish political theatre John McGrath, founder of the Scottish popular theatre company
7:84, argued that "the theatre can never 'cause' a social change. It can articulate pressure towards one, help people celebrate their strengths and maybe build their self-confidence… Above all, it can be the way people find their voice, their solidarity and their collective determination." ==Television==