Contemporary Irish Drama: From Beckett to McGuinness (Gill's Studies in Irish Literature) - Tapa dura

A study of the revival of Irish drama in the last 30 years, this book comprises three main sections with an introduction and conclusion. In the first section, the author examines the playwrights who emerged in the 1950s, notably Brendan Behan, J.B. Keane and Hugh Leonard. He enlarges the context by considering the Irish dimension of Beckett's work and by identifying Beckett's seminal influence in creating an international dimension in modern Irish drama. The second section looks in depth at the careers of Brian Friel, Tom Murphy and Tom Kilroy. The last section concentrates on Northern Ireland and on the theatrical response to the political violence of the last 20 years.