Arnold Wesker

British playwright. Born to Jewish immigrants of Eastern Europe who lived in a working-class neighborhood in East London. He worked in a variety of jobs, and after being discharged from the Air Force, he studied at film school. His first draft, The Kitchen, won an award at the Observer's playwriting competition (1956), and Chicken Soup with Barley premiered in 1958, recommended by his mentor, film critic and director Lindsay Anderson (1923-1994). Along with The Roots (1959) and I'm Talking of Jerusalem (1960), this trilogy is a realistic work that considers the state of society, set in his progressive family environment. The Kitchen (revised version 1961), which premiered in 1959, presents a "human world like a kitchen" with a large number of workers in a workplace that is emotionally rich, dynamic, and sometimes nightmarish. While he produced works such as All with Chips (1962), which depicts the hierarchical life of the military, and Four Seasons (1965), which depicts the love between two young men and women, he participated in the anti-nuclear movement with Bertrand Russell and others, and was active in the Centre 42 movement, which advocated "arts for workers," using the Round House Theatre, a former locomotive shed, as its base. However, he returned to the Royal Court Theatre, which had nurtured him, for Old Men (1972). Other works he produced include Friends (1970), The Journalist (1972), The Wedding Reception (1974), The Merchant (1976), an adaptation of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, and television scripts. Most of his works from his middle period have been translated and performed in Japanese, and he has visited Japan again.

[Yasuna Mori]

"The Complete Works of A. Wesker, translated by Koichi Kimura et al., 3 volumes (1964-68, Shobunsha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

イギリスの劇作家。ロンドン東部の庶民街に住む東欧系ユダヤ人移民の子に生まれる。雑多な仕事を体験し、空軍除隊後は映画学校に学んだ。初稿の『調理場』が『オブザーバー』紙の戯曲公募で入賞（1956）し、『大麦入りのチキンスープ』は恩師である映画批評家兼監督のリンゼイ・アンダーソンLindsay Anderson（1923―1994）の紹介で初演（1958）された。続く『根っこ』（1959）、『僕はエルサレムのことを話してるんだ』（1960）とともに三部作とよばれ、進歩的な彼の家庭環境を舞台に、社会のありようを考えた写実的な作品である。1959年に初演された『調理場』（改訂版1961）は、大ぜいの働く職場により「まるで調理場のような人間世界」を情感豊かに、躍動的に、ときには悪夢のように現前させた。階層的な軍隊生活に取材した『いずれもチップス付き』（1962）、2人の若い男女の愛の『四季』（1965）などを発表する間、バートランド・ラッセルらとともに反核運動に参加し、また旧機関車車庫を改装したラウンド・ハウス（円形）劇場を足場に「芸術を労働者に」というセンター42運動で活躍するが、『老人達』（1972）では彼を育てたロイヤル・コート劇場に復帰した。ほかに、『友達』（1970）、『ジャーナリスト』（1972）、『結婚披露宴』（1974）、シェークスピア『ベニスの商人』の改作『商人』（1976）やテレビ台本などがある。中期までの作品はほとんど邦訳上演され、彼も再度来日している。

［森　康尚］

『木村光一他訳『A・ウェスカー全作品』全3巻（1964～68・晶文社）』

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