Graham Greene’s The Living Room: An Uncomfortable Catholic Play in Franco’s Spain
Year: 2018
Type: article
Abstract: This article addresses the debate over Graham Greene’s "The living room" (1953) in Franco’s Spain, where theatre critics created a controversy over the play by questioning whether this Catholic dramatic work was heretical or orthodox. It was regarded as a cultural asset to the national stage, but it was also interpreted as a threat to Catholics of wavering faith. In addition, this study uses the censorship files to examine the attitude of the Franco regime towards the play. Contrary to popular belief, Franco’s government did not favour the reception of this play despite the fact that Greene was an internationally renowned Catholic writer. On the contrary, banned four times, it ranks among Greene’s most censored works under Franco’s rule. The article concludes by suggesting that "The living room" became an uncomfortable Catholic play because it clashed with the tenets of the regime.
Authors: Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, MÓNICA OLIVARES LEYVA
Institution: Universidad de Alcalá
Language: English
Subfield: Literature and Literary Theory
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2809666149