The Dance of Death (Auden)
Encyclopedia
The Dance of Death is a one-act play in verse and prose by W. H. Auden
, published in 1933.
The Dance of Death is a satiric musical extravaganza that portrays the "death inside" the middle classes as a silent dancer. The dancer first attempts to keep himself alive through escapism at a resort hotel, then through nationalistic enthusiasm, then through idealism, then through a New Year's party at a brothel, before he finally dies. Karl Marx appears on stage and pronounces the dancer dead. "The instruments of production have been too much for him."
The play was published by Faber & Faber in 1933, with a dedication to Robert Medley
and Rupert Doone
. It was performed by the Group Theatre (London)
, in 1934 and 1935.
The play was widely interpreted as pro-Communist, but Auden later wrote in a copy of the printed text, "The communists never spotted that this was a nihilistic leg-pull".
W. H. Auden
Wystan Hugh Auden , who published as W. H. Auden, was an Anglo-American poet,The first definition of "Anglo-American" in the OED is: "Of, belonging to, or involving both England and America." See also the definition "English in origin or birth, American by settlement or citizenship" in See also...
, published in 1933.
The Dance of Death is a satiric musical extravaganza that portrays the "death inside" the middle classes as a silent dancer. The dancer first attempts to keep himself alive through escapism at a resort hotel, then through nationalistic enthusiasm, then through idealism, then through a New Year's party at a brothel, before he finally dies. Karl Marx appears on stage and pronounces the dancer dead. "The instruments of production have been too much for him."
The play was published by Faber & Faber in 1933, with a dedication to Robert Medley
Robert Medley
Charles Robert Owen Medley CBE, RA, , always known as Robert Medley, was an English painter who worked in both abstract and figurative styles, and a theatre designer...
and Rupert Doone
Rupert Doone
Rupert Doone was an English dancer, choreographer, theatre director, and teacher....
. It was performed by the Group Theatre (London)
Group Theatre (London)
The Group Theatre was an experimental theatre company founded in 1932 by Rupert Doone and Robert Medley. It evolved from a play-reading group in Cambridge that Doone had been involved with during his years studying with the Festival Theatre there...
, in 1934 and 1935.
The play was widely interpreted as pro-Communist, but Auden later wrote in a copy of the printed text, "The communists never spotted that this was a nihilistic leg-pull".