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'A theatre of ruins'. Edward Bond & Samuel Beckett: theatrical antagonists

Saunders, G. (2005) 'A theatre of ruins'. Edward Bond & Samuel Beckett: theatrical antagonists. Studies in Theatre & Performance, 25 (1). pp. 66-77. ISSN 2040-0616

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To link to this item DOI: 10.1386/stap.25.1.67/0

Abstract/Summary

The playwright Edward Bond has long made known his antagonism to dramatists allied to Martin Esslin’s Theatre of the Absurd. The work of Samuel Beckett has come in for particular criticism by Bond. Using published writings (and unpublished correspondence between myself and Bond), I hope to trace the development of this antagonism between ‘Bondian’ and ‘Beckettian’ views of theatre. However, this article will also set out to argue that both early work such as The Pope’s Wedding (1962), and more recent work such as Coffee (1995), make use of motifs, characters and ideas from Beckett’s theatre. The article will set out provisional reasons why Bond, despite his misgivings, is not averse to incorporating elements from Beckett’s ‘theatre of ruins’, as he terms it, into his own work.

Item Type:Article
Refereed:Yes
Divisions:Interdisciplinary Research Centres (IDRCs) > Samuel Beckett Research Centre
ID Code:31330
Publisher:Intellect

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