Shelagh Delaney's 1958 play, written when she was only 19, brought the lives and struggles of northern, working-class people onto the stage. Initially dividing the critics - some of whom regarded it as 'immature' - it went on to become one of the most defining plays of the twentieth century.
This Student Edition contains a commentary by Hannah Simpson, Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, UK, which explores the following themes in relation to the play:
- gender roles
- homosexuality
- race
- class
- youth
- 1950s notions of family
In addition, it looks at the play's production history, different ways it has been staged, and critical reception; the form of the kitchen-sink and drawing-room drama and to what extent the play conforms or disrupts these models; 1950s Britain and what it was like; and the play's ambiguous ending.
This is Book 21 in the Student Editions Series. See all Student Editions books here.
See More Educational: drama studies
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Shelagh Delaney was born in Salford, Lancashire. She won multiple awards for her play A Taste of Honey, for which she later wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation. She has also written for television, radio and has published a collection of short stories. She died in 2011.
Kate Whittaker is a former English and Drama teacher who has worked in a vari
