Edward Bond

Anthony Vivis (Independent Scholar - Europe)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.09: English Writing and Culture: Postwar and Contemporary Britain , 1945-present.
Vol. editors: Gina Lyle (University of York), Graham MacPhee (University of Manchester), Kerry Myler (Birmingham Newman University), Jenni Ramone (The Nottingham Trent University)

Dates

Activity 1934-2016
Born 18 Jul 1934
Died 3 Mar 2024

Places

Born in England
Active in England

Activities

Primary

Playwright / Dramatist

Resources

Bond's Works

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Bond achieved prominence, if not notoriety, with his socially critical plays of the 1960s and 70s. He learnt the craft and art of writing theatre at the Royal Court Theatre, London, under George Devine. There are several early plays which came out of the writers' group based here, which, along with John Arden, John Osborne, Ann Jellicoe and Arnold Wesker, Bond joined in 1960. Among these are

The Pope's Wedding

(1962) and

Saved

(1965). When this play was banned by the Lord Chamberlain's office, which had been approving – and censoring – new plays since 1737, the Royal Court theatre was turned into a club. Then, in 1968, the year of

Narrow Road to the Deep North

(about the Japanese poet, Basho) and

Early Morning

(about violence in the ruling class and a lesbian relationship between…

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1852 words

Citation: Vivis, Anthony. "Edward Bond". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 21 March 2002 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=478, accessed 27 November 2024.]

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