Initial response to 'The Price'

I found the ideas in this drama by Lena Kitsopoulou very surreal and challenging. I believe that it will be great fun to work with this text, and to develop and use Brechtian techniques within the play.  I think the play is cleverly written, topical and portrays society’s materialism in a very unique and disturbing way.  The core idea of the play (buying a baby from a supermarket) can be seen as critical of the superficiality of consumerism.

The theme could be very literal, meaning buying a baby in a supermarket; if this is the case then play deals with very modern ideas about the changing role of families.  Alternatively, it could be subtly showing that the cost of a raising a baby comes with the external expenses; nappies, food, and formula and concerns the difficult decisions to be made before starting a family.  If this is the case then it reflects the current economic climate in Europe, and as the currency discussed is Drachmas (former Greek currency) I believe it is reflecting the recent economic depression in Greece. 

I enjoyed reading the play, and found that its morality is displayed very superficially, similar to the work of Bertolt Brecht.  The opening line is delivered by the character ‘MAN’, which I believe reflects an imagined social hierarchy.  The whole play reveals some very disturbing topics to the audience and I believe the playwright portrayed these topics perfectly; not loading too much guilt on to the audience’s conscience but provoking them to consider some unpleasant aspects of contemporary society.