The Duchess of Malfi

Brecht and Hays's adaptation of John Webster's 'The Duchess of Malfi' was born of a tortuous set of drafts, redrafts and recriminations, which led to several versions of the script, including a Broadway staging of a version by W.H. Auden. The idea was to eliminate the anticlimactic series of deaths at the end, tighten up the script and emphasize the implicit incest motivation of the Duke. This version of the script, written directly in English by Hays, with Brecht advising on story and structure, is complemented here by notes and letters by Brecht himself on how the play ought to be performed.