Mother Courage and Her Children **** - uneditied version

A sound-bomb machine, rock music and eye-catching pyrotechnics contrast vividly with the quieter, equally devastating scenes of Deborah Warner’s riveting 21^st century production of Brecht’s 1939 anti-war epic, skilfully merging his sparsely evoked 17^th century setting with modern technology. Punctuated by Duke Special’s haunting songs and veteran novelist Gore Vidal’s voiceover, this salutary account of a resourceful, money-motivated mother’s doomed attempts to protect her children grips throughout as – with her fortunes fluctuating along with her allegiance - she haggles her way across a violent, war-torn Europe. And from a triumphant entrance riding high on her merchandise-laden cart to her final, wearily resigned exit pulling the now almost empty vehicle behind her, Fiona Shaw’s indomitable profiteer commands the stage for the three hours plus of Tony Kushner’s punchy, modern translation.

Olivier at the National Theatre, South Bank, SE1 9PX (020 7452 3000) Waterloo tube www.nationaltheatre.org.uk In rep until 8^th December (£10 - £30 -part of the Travelex £10 season)