Harold Pinter is universally described as Britain's leading dramatist. This book evaluates the justification for this appellation. It examines his work in relation to changes taking place in the New British Theatre after the so-called theatrical revolution of 1956, and draws attention to those autobiographical experiences that have been transmuted into his art. Beginning with a look at the nature of British theatre prior to 1956, Peacock then describes Pinter's early life in the East End of London, his career as an actor, and his early writing. The discussion follows Pinter's life and work from ^IThe Room^R in 1957 to his most recent play, Ashes to Ashes in 1996. The author argues that although Pinter has not instigated an aesthetic revolution, he has, more significantly, through his representation of human behavior, provoked a new way of viewing the world.
Series Foreword by Josh Beer, Christopher Innes and Simon Williams Preface A Theatre Hermetically Sealed Harold Pinter, Poet, Novelist, and Actor Harold Pinter, Dramatist Comedies of Menace and the Pinteresque Caught in the Past: The Memory Plays and After Pinter and Politics Past and Future Appendix: Pinter on Radio, Television, and Film Chronology Bibliography Index
