The course aims at following various phases of British drama and theatre in order to see the development and changes concerning the idea of comedy when connected to its aspects of physical or moral unpleasantness, ugliness, strangeness and incongruity.

The course will be held in English.

A) Introduction to theatre studies

1)  From the Middle Ages to the Elizabethan theatre

1.1  The Cycles and the organization of outdoor productions

1.2   Performing on pageants and the audience

1.3   Transformations of existing buildings and their location in London in the reign of Elizabeth I

1.4   The main Elizabethan companies

2)  Early Eighteenth-century theatres

2.1 The Restoration and the indoor performances

2.2 The influence of the Italian Opera

3) Modern Theatre

3.1 The rise of the director

B) Texts, ideas, and performance: The concept and the use of grotesque comedy

1) Secunda Pastorum from the Wakefield-Towneley Cycle: religion and popular culture

2) Shakespeare's All's Well that Ends Well: themes of comedy and grotesque

2.1 The Fool in All's Well that Ends Well

3) Fraud, disguise and parody as grotesque in Jonson's Volpone

4) Parody and grotesque in Gay's The Beggar's Opera

5)  An empty stage, poor props and alienation as grotesque comedy in Beckett's Waiting for Godot.

Excerpts from videos will be shown during classes. Students are advised to avail themselves of the facilities of CLA in order to see the complete versions.

Modalità didattiche

Lectures and projection of videos

Obblighi

Students are invited to attend lessons.

Since some videos of performances are part of the programme, students must know them together with the primary and  secondary texts.

Testi di studio

Primary texts (all texts must be read in English, or using bilingual editions):
Anon., Secunda Pastorum*
W. Shakespeare, All’s Well that Ends Well
B. Jonson, Volpone*
J. Gay, Beggar’s Opera*
S. Beckett, Waiting for Godot

 * these plays are also available in The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Vols 1 and 2, New York, Norton.
Videos of performances will be shown during classes and constitute part of the programme (and of the exam). A list of videos available at CLA will be given during the course and posted on Professor Mullini’s “Materiale didattico”.

Secondary Texts:

R. Mullini, R. Zacchi, Introduzione allo studio del teatro inglese, Napoli, Liguori, 2003 (in particular pp. 16-60, 76-137,164-219, 277-85).
R. Mullini, "A shrewd knave and an unhappy": The Fool in All's Well that Ends Well, Theta VII - Outsiders Within (Dedans/Dehors): Figures of Mediation, Tours, CESR, 2007, pp. 259-72, at
http://umr6576.cesr.univ-tours.fr/publications/Theta7/fichiers/pdf/mullini.pdf
___, "Volpone di Ben Jonson: la teatralità della simulazione", Rivista di Letterature Moderne e Comparate, 4, 1990, pp. 351-67. (a copy of this article will be available on the Faculty web site)
J.L. Styan, The English Stage, A History of Drama and Performance, CUP, 1996 Canto original series, Paperback (esp. chaps. 1, 4, 7, 11, 13, 14)

Possible further indications will be given during the course and posted on professor Mullini's ‘Materiale didattico' web page.

Modalità di
accertamento

Oral exams (in English)

Students are kindly requested to bring the list of their readings with them on the exam day.

Disabilità e DSA

Le studentesse e gli studenti che hanno registrato la certificazione di disabilità o la certificazione di DSA presso l'Ufficio Inclusione e diritto allo studio, possono chiedere di utilizzare le mappe concettuali (per parole chiave) durante la prova di esame.

A tal fine, è necessario inviare le mappe, due settimane prima dell’appello di esame, alla o al docente del corso, che ne verificherà la coerenza con le indicazioni delle linee guida di ateneo e potrà chiederne la modifica.

Modalità didattiche

Lectures and projection of videos

Obblighi

Since some videos of performances are part of the programme, students must know them together with the primary and  secondary texts.

Non attending students are warmly invited to get in touch with professor Mullini either by phone during the office hours or by e-mail.

Testi di studio

Primary texts (all texts must be read in English, or using bilingual editions):
Anon., Secunda Pastorum*
W. Shakespeare, All’s Well that Ends Well
B. Jonson, Volpone*
J. Gay, Beggar’s Opera*
S. Beckett, Waiting for Godot

 * these plays are also available in The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Vols 1 and 2, New York, Norton.
Videos of performances will be shown during classes and constitute part of the programme (and of the exam). A list of videos available at CLA will be given during the course and posted on Professor Mullini’s “Materiale didattico”.

Secondary Texts:

- R. Mullini, R. Zacchi, Introduzione allo studio del teatro inglese, Napoli, Liguori, 2003.
- R. Mullini, "A shrewd knave and an unhappy": The Fool in All's Well that Ends Well, Theta VII - Outsiders Within (Dedans/Dehors): Figures of Mediation, Tours, CESR, 2007, pp. 259-72, at
http://umr6576.cesr.univ-tours.fr/publications/Theta7/fichiers/pdf/mullini.pdf
- ___, "Volpone di Ben Jonson: la teatralità della simulazione", Rivista di Letterature Moderne e Comparate, 4, 1990, pp. 351-67. (a copy of this article will be available on the Faculty web site).
- J.L. Styan, The English Stage, A History of Drama and Performance, CUP, 1996 Canto original series, Paperback (esp. chaps. 1, 4, 7, 11, 13, 14)

Possible further indications will be given during the course and posted on professor Mullini's ‘Materiale didattico' web page.

Modalità di
accertamento

Oral exams (in English)

Students are kindly requested to bring the list of their readings with them on the exam day

Disabilità e DSA

Le studentesse e gli studenti che hanno registrato la certificazione di disabilità o la certificazione di DSA presso l'Ufficio Inclusione e diritto allo studio, possono chiedere di utilizzare le mappe concettuali (per parole chiave) durante la prova di esame.

A tal fine, è necessario inviare le mappe, due settimane prima dell’appello di esame, alla o al docente del corso, che ne verificherà la coerenza con le indicazioni delle linee guida di ateneo e potrà chiederne la modifica.

All students are invited to look up additional information and material which will be made available during the course at professor Mullini's Faculty site (www.uniurb.it/lingue), 'Materiale didattico'.
When e-mailing prof. Mullini, students are kindly requested to use their university address if they want to receive an answer.