TEXT POETICS AND ALLUSIVE ELEMENTS IN SARAH KANE’S PLAY “CLEANSED”

Abstract

The article discusses poetics and allusive elements in Sarah Kane’s play “Cleansed”

Sarah Kane was the first dramatist, who fundamentally changed the 90’s British theatre and after her first play “Blasted” that was very scandalous the new style of plays became dominant on British stage called “In –yer- face” theatre.

Sarah Kane’s “Cleansed” that was premiered in April 1998, that marked her return not only the Royal Court but also for the first time onto the main stage in one of the major productions of that season.

As David Greig mentions in the introductions of her complete plays “’Cleansed” is yet another step away from naturalism.  She completely striped away the explanatory narrative and presented the audience with a series of poetic images and pared dialogue.” (Greig, 2001: 3)

The set of the play develops in a former university now transformed into some kind of an institution where one of the main character Tinker controls and transforms the characters.

The episodic structure of the play is taken from Georg Buchner’s “Woyzeck” that was staged by her in 1997. The story and the structure of the play is disconnected.

The couples and their love story are presented throughout the play such as: the identical twins Grace and Graham, Carl and Rod, Grace and Robin, Tinker and Woman, Tinker and Grace. Each relationship is broken and doesn’t have a happy ending of course but the main question of the play is what one can endure for the sake of love.

Keywords: Sarah, Kane, Allusions, Cleansed,  Shakespeare, Orwell.