as fine a writer as england has produced since the second world war. these plays represent bond simply and completely, as a man of passion and vision and a writer that any reader or writer MUST reckon with if they wish to have an understanding of modern drama. genius, and handed out when the word is knowingly overused. here it is earned.

If you are considering the plays of Bond there is no better place to start than here, at the beginning of his career. This volume contains his first three plays. Whether you have seen thse works performed or not is irrelevant. Just reading them is an interesting experience. This is essential modern literature! Bond's introductions (to all the volumes of his collected plays) are also essential. They have a socialist leaning but are not too preachy. Bond's self-educated working-class position gives his articulate essays a powerful punch. (A punch modern society needs.) I would buy these volumes just for these introductions, they are that good!

After this, go on to PLAYS:TWO for the brilliant LEAR.

Caryl Churchill's Heart's Desire and Blue Kettle (both found in Blue Heart) may be a challenge to read, but both prove worth the effort. Simultaneously approaching the deconstruction of language and the deconstruction of the family and interpersonal relations, the two pieces leave nothing in question about Churchill's brilliance.

Caryl Churchill is one of the most creative playwright today. Hotel consists of two musicals done in a minimalistic style. The first story takes place in a single hotel room, with all the characters appearing on stage at the same time. I particularly like the idea of having everyone on stage as if they're all superimposed onto each other like a montage.

This doctoral thesis on Caryl Churchill gives an extensive insight into CC's oeuvre starting with the Radio Plays of the 1960s and 1970s and, of course, including all stage plays up to the "The Skriker". Plays are discussed according to four phases: 1. Radio Plays, 2. Early Stage Plays, 3. Feminist Stage Plays, 4. Post-Feminist Stage Plays. Each chapter gives an enlighting review and criticism of major plays and additional information on the social and theatrical context. In the discussion of individual plays the influences and sources are outlined.

As Caryl Churchill is one of the major British feminist dramatists of the 20th century, this study sheds new light on the development and roots of her work.

Unfortunately, it is only available in German, depriving many of the English speaking world of its fresh and provocative findings.

The most comprehensive bibliography I have found and a list of all plays conclude this impressive book.

Mad Forest is a fascinating look at Communist Romania before, during, and right after the revolution. I had the privelage of working on a college production of this play, and, each time it was performed, I found something new or amazing about it.
The play follows two families (Bogdon's family and Mihai's family) in Communist Romania. The play uses language (or, in the first scene, the lack of it) to convey the danger of their lives. Just as the conversation is suppressed, the people themselves are suppressed. (For our production, we talked to a Romanian woman who said people were afraid to talk to their next door neighbors, because they did not know the person was in Securitate (the secret police). The second act contains "sound bites," if I can call them that, to describe the events of December 1989, when the Communist government was overthrown. This part of the play is especially chilling and brilliant. The third act shows the chaos following the collapse of communism. The characters talk and argue, and almost explode with emotion, as Churchill once again uses language to show the chaos. The third act, like the aftermath of the revolution, was unsettling. I would advise anyone who wants to read this, to learn a little bit about the revolution, so you understand what happened. All in all, a fantastic, powerful, moving play.

Having played the part of Worsely, a ludicrously unsuccessful suicide, in a production of Caryl Churchill's early play, I must say that "Owners" is a cleverly plotted and amazingly heartfelt black comedy. Practically all of the characters are in one way or another off their trolley, and most are out to control - or even hurt - the others, but it's clear that Churchill's heart was in the right place. Putting "Owners" on stage was one of the most intense - and sometimes scary - things I've done in my life so far.

A great work, shocking, interesting, funny.

wow! caryl churchill has done it again. she never ceases to amaze, amuse and intrigue. i especially like her last few works (hotel, blue hearts and of course, this is a chair).

her works are getting more experimental and minimal (hotel, this is a chair), and at the same time, never losing their complexity and intellectual (as well as entertainment) values.

i suspect most of the audience who watch this play will not be able to comprehend what's going on if they try to connect the title of each scene with the scene itself. the more you try to connect, the more they do not make sense. that's the whole point. for example, the first scene is entitled 'the war in bosnia', but the scene has absolutely nothing to do with the war. that's why the play is so powerful. the more the titles are 'alienated' from the scenes, the more they make you think about the issues (of bosnia, genetic engineering, hong kong, pornography and censorship, etc).

my only complain is the price. us$9.95 for a 32-pager is not cheap, but then again, i just had to have the book.

"The Skriker" is a wonderous piece of drama. Melding English folklore with a contemporary environment, Churchill has managed to create a terrifying dramatic "fairy tale." The story revolves around two teenage girls, their pregnancies, and the Skriker, a shapeshifter and evil spirit who plays a unique Rumpelstiltskinian role. Bristling with dramatic possibilities, due in no small part to the countless creatures with names like Rawheadandbloodybones and Black Annis that roam the play, this important work commands a unique theatrical excitement. A full five-star ranking is reserved for Churchill's "Cloud Nine," a play of truly remarkable ingenuity in its handling of the sexual revolution and its consequences. Yet the Skriker stands tall at four and a half stars, basking in its fierce, modern intelligence.

Drawing on scores of tales we all remember from childhood, this play about a shapeshifter who pursues two young women will reverberate with you long after you've read it.

"Far Away," by Caryl Churchill, is a play with three speaking roles (one of which, according to the book's opening pages, was played by 2 actors). The title page notes that the play was first performed in London in 2000.

The opening sections of the play have an ominous, Twilight Zone-ish flavor; there is a mix of surreal, absurdist imagery with dialogue about death and violence. The play opens with Joan, a girl who is staying at the home of her aunt, Harper. But as the two talk, it becomes clear that something secret and very disturbing is happening on Harper's property.

There is some really weird dialogue in this play. Sample: "Mallards are not a good waterbird. They commit rape, and they're on the side of the elephants and the Koreans." I don't think that the final section of the play quite sustains the imaginatively nightmarish quality of the opening parts, and I found the ending somewhat abrupt; but still, "Far Away" is a remarkable text from a noteworthy theatrical voice.