Editing English drama (section)

==The period 1945–2000==
An important cultural movement in the British theatre which developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s was [[Kitchen sink realism]] (or "kitchen sink drama"), a term coined to describe art (the term itself derives from an expressionist painting by [[John Bratby]]), novels, film and [[television play]]s. The term [[angry young men]] was often applied to members of this artistic movement. It used a style of [[social realism]] which depicts the domestic lives of the working class, to explore social issues and political issues. The [[drawing room play]]s of the post-war period, typical of dramatists like [[Terence Rattigan]] and [[Noël Coward]] were challenged in the 1950s by these [[Angry Young Men]], in plays like [[John Osborne]]'s  ''[[Look Back in Anger]]'' (1956). [[Arnold Wesker]] and [[Nell Dunn]] also brought social concerns to the stage.

Again In the 1950s, the [[Absurdism|absurdist]] play ''[[Waiting for Godot]]'' (1955) (originally ''[[En attendant Godot]]'', 1952), by the French resident Irishman [[Samuel Beckett]] profoundly affected British drama. The [[Theatre of the Absurd]] influenced [[Harold Pinter]] (1930-2008), (The Birthday Party, 1958), whose works are often characterised by menace or claustrophobia. Beckett also influenced [[Tom Stoppard]] (1937-) (''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead'',1966). Stoppard's works are, however, also notable for their high-spirited wit and the great range of intellectual issues which he tackles in different plays. Both Pinter and Stoppard continued to have new plays produced into the 1990s. [[Michael Frayn]] (1933- ) is among other playwrights noted for their use of language and ideas. He is also a novelist.

Other Important playwrights whose careers began later in the century are: [[Caryl Churchill]] (''[[Top Girls]]'', 1982) and [[Alan Ayckbourn]] (''[[Absurd Person Singular]]'', 1972).

An important new element in the world of British drama, from the beginnings of radio in the 1920s, was the commissioning of plays, or the adaption of existing plays, by BBC radio. This was especially important in the 1950s and 1960s (and from the 1960s on for television). Many major British playwrights in fact, either effectively began their careers with the BBC, or had works adapted for radio. Most of playwright [[Caryl Churchill]]'s early experiences with professional drama production were as a radio playwright and, starting in 1962 with ''The Ants'', there were nine productions with BBC radio drama up until 1973 when her stage work began to be recognised at the [[Royal Court Theatre]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsC/churchill-caryl.html |title=Caryl Churchill - playwright |website=www.doollee.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060509020244/http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsC/churchill-caryl.html |archive-date=2006-05-09}}</ref> [[Joe Orton]]'s dramatic debut in 1963 was the radio play ''The Ruffian on the Stair'', which was broadcast on 31 August 1964.<ref name="autogenerated1">[http://www.irdp.co.uk/radiodrama.htm Tim Crook, "International radio drama"]</ref> [[Tom Stoppard]]'s "first professional production was in the fifteen-minute ''Just Before Midnight'' programme on BBC Radio, which showcased new dramatists".<ref name="autogenerated1"/> [[John Mortimer]] made his radio debut as a dramatist in 1955, with his adaptation of his own novel ''Like Men Betrayed'' for the [[BBC]] [[Light Programme]]. But he made his debut as an original playwright with ''[[The Dock Brief]]'', starring [[Michael Hordern]] as a hapless barrister, first broadcast in 1957 on [[BBC Radio]]'s [[Third Programme]], later televised with the same cast, and subsequently presented in a double bill with ''What Shall We Tell Caroline?'' at the [[Lyric Hammersmith]] in April 1958, before transferring to the [[Garrick Theatre]]. Mortimer is most famous for [[Rumpole of the Bailey]] a [[British television]] series which starred [[Leo McKern]] as Horace Rumpole, an aging London barrister who defends any and all clients. It has been spun off into a series of short stories, novels, and radio programmes.<ref>"John Mortimer Radio Plays": [http://www.suttonelms.org.uk/jmortimer.html]; [http://www.filmreference.com/film/69/John-Mortimer.html John Mortimer Biography (1923–2009)]</ref>

Other notable radio dramatists included [[Brendan Behan]], and novelist [[Angela Carter]]. Novelist [[Susan Hill]] also wrote for BBC radio, from the early 1970s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.suttonelms.org.uk/|title=RADIO DRAMA,APPLES,EKEGUSII,POTATOES,EARLY MUSIC,Mandy Giltjes|website=www.suttonelms.org.uk}}</ref> Irish playwright [[Brendan Behan]], author of  ''[[The Quare Fellow]]'' (1954), was commissioned by the BBC to write a radio play ''The Big House'' (1956); prior to this he had written two plays ''Moving Out''and ''A Garden Party'' for Irish radio.<ref>''The Columbia encyclopedia of modern drama'', by Gabrielle H. Cody; "Brendan Behan" - RTÉ Archives [http://www.rte.ie/archives/exhibitions/925-brendan-behan/]</ref>

Among the most famous works created for radio, are [[Dylan Thomas]]'s ''[[Under Milk Wood]]'' (1954), [[Samuel Beckett]]'s ''[[All That Fall]]'' (1957), [[Harold Pinter]]'s ''[[A Slight Ache]]'' (1959) and [[Robert Bolt]]'s ''[[A Man for All Seasons (play)|A Man for All Seasons]]'' (1954).<ref>[[J. C. Trewin]], "Critic on the Hearth." ''Listener'' [London, England] 5 Aug. 1954: 224.</ref> [[Samuel Beckett]] wrote a number of short radio plays in the 1950s and 1960s, and later for television. Beckett's radio play  ''[[Embers]]'' was first broadcast on the [[BBC Third Programme]] on 24 June 1959, and won the RAI prize at the [[Prix Italia]] awards later that year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rai.it/prixitalia/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303114656/http://www.prixitalia.rai.it/2008/pdf/vincitori_edizionipassate_en.pdf|url-status=dead|title=PRIX ITALIA|archivedate=March 3, 2012|website=www.rai.it}}</ref>