The Methuen Drama Book of Plays from the Sixties: Roots; Serjeant Musgrave's Dance; Loot; Early Morning; The Ruling Class

(Paperback)

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Five outstanding plays from the British theatre of the 1960s.This volume contains major works by five of the most importantplaywrights ot emerge during the late fifties and early sixties. Bold,challenging and iconoclastic, these plays are landmarks of post-warBritish theatre. Roots by Arnold Wesker focuses on the homecoming of youngBeatie Bryant who returns to her family of Norfolk farm workers withstories of her boyfriend Ronnie. Serjeant Musgrave's Dance by John Arden is set in a miningtown in the 19th century, with a group of soldiers returned from acolonial war. But when Musgrave is asked to keep the peace with thecolliery workers, he decides to do so in a rather unusual way. Loot by Joe Orton is a brilliant parody of theskeleton-in-the-cupboard crime genre, exploding the very notions ofEnglish decency, good citizenry and traditional 'positions'. Edward Bond's Early Morning re-imagines the time of Victoria and Albert caught up in a military coup plotted by Disraeli. Peter Barnes' Ruling Class describes the fall out in anaristocratic family after the 14th Earl commits suicide and leaves hisestate to a schizophrenic Franciscan friar who is under the illusionthat he is Jesus.

Reviews

Roots - 'it has an urgent topicality. Wesker is writing about the freedom of the mind: the lifetime challenge of thinking for yourself and shaking off the prejudices of your class' * Sunday Times *

Author Bio

Five of the most important playwrights to emerge during the late fifties and early sixties, including John rden, Arnold Wesker, Joe Orton, Edward Bond and Peter Barnes.