In 1939 Bertolt Brecht created a captivating play about the rise of the Nazi party throughout Germany. 74 years later Wesley Enoch has transformed the Brechtian techniques and dramatic elements and has successfully recreated the play Mother Courage and her Children in an Australian setting while still conforming to the original social and political commentary of the play. In the modernised Mother Courage Enoch made crucial decisions in order to comply with the variety of techniques used by Brecht, he has incorporated music, narration, gestus, frequent change of character, the stage was minimal, as were the props and amount of characters. The play, like the majority of Brecht plays, has a strong moral, social and political meaning, which provokes a reaction amongst the audience; Enoch has reinforced this message throughout the play leaving the audience with a similar impact and the questioning of their own morality.

The Wesley Enoch version of Mother Courage and Her Children focuses on an aboriginal woman and her three children during a war over land and minerals. At the beginning of the play the advantages of the war are highlighted; Mother Courage is with her family and to her the war is a profitable event, which does not effect her as long as the ‘Bungoo’. In the beginning scenes, although Courage tries to hide it, it is evident that she has a strong relationship with her children; she is very protective, loving and attached to her three children. Throughout the play as the families desire for money increases their strength and independence decreases and her children’s vulnerability results in Mother Courage losing her children to the ongoing war, deep sympathy is felt throughout the audience and the anti-war message is translated strongly.

Enoch used strong forms of symbolism throughout the play in order to intensify the reaction of the audience, the most evident symbol being Mother Courage’s famous wagon. A focal point for the majority of scenes, the wagon was Mother Courage’s home, work, transportation and source of money, basically the wagon was everything to Mother Courage and her children but yet she was always willing to give everything up in order to save her family but unfortunately the cost of war included her children’s lives. In one section of the play Mother Courage uses a missile to support her washing line, this represents how adapted the people were to the long-lasting war, it became normal to use a deadly weapon to dry clothing and the characters began to forget what it was like before war broke out and Mother Courage did not want to remember. In the beginning of the play Mother Courage attempts to trick her children in order to restrain them from entering war, in the trick all three children chose a black cross, meaning if they were to enter the war they would die. Although not realised at first this is perhaps one of the strongest symbols throughout the play, it reveals to the audience how gullible people can be when entering a war, how the government and politicians desire for money is resulting in the death of anyone but themselves and that war will ultimately result in death. The death of all three children represents greed and the power of money, the outcome of war and the outcome of a world dominated by powerful people.

From the beginning of the opening scene the audience is guessing and anticipating what will happen next. With the use of sound effects, music and silence Enoch built tension throughout the play. When building tension the stage would be silent except for the characters and as the climactic point is reached a loud sound effect or outburst of music happens and as each child dies the audience feels intense tension. The climactic point of tension in the play is when Kattrin is banging a bat against a tin shield, not only does this reinforce the Australian setting it makes the audience uncomfortable, a common Brechtian technique, which leaves them questioning what they would do in that situation and the morality of their decisions compared to Kattrin.

A typical Brechtian play is very minimalistic; the stage is basic, little amount of props and with the frequent change of character, minimal performers. Enoch abided by these techniques by having an almost empty stage with the wings exposed to the audience, the main prop being the wagon and only few others and most performers played multiple roles. The reason for doing this is so the performance seems more realistic and feels as though it is really happening. Brecht intended to make his plays seem very realistic with the aim that people would realise that they are actual situations, which is why Enoch used narration, it breaks the fourth wall between the audience and everyone is incorporated.

Wesley Enoch has successfully used multiple Brechtian techniques and elements and created a strong message about the need for change both socially and politically. The message of the play will remain relevant while war is ongoing. In Mother Courage and Her Children director Wesley Enoch makes it impossible to avoid the message that you can not be involved in something and not make moral judgement, have no consequences and be morally a part and trying to profit from war will only cause devastation and loss and while politics still decide to engage in war.