"Look Back in Anger" is one of the few works of drama that are indisputably central to British culture in general, and its name is one of the most well-known in postwar cultural history. Its premiere in 1956 sparked off the first 'new wave' of kitchen-sink drama and the cultural phenomenon of the Angry Young Man. The play's anti-hero, Jimmy Porter, became the spokesman of a generation. Osborne's play is a key milestone in 'new writing' for British theatre, and the Royal Court - which produced the play - has since become one of the most important new writing theatres in the UK.This guide provides a comprehensive critical introduction to the play, giving students an overview of the background and context; detailed analysis of the play's structure, style, characters etc; analysis of key production issues and choices; overview of the performance history from the 1956 Royal Court premiere to recent revivals; and an annotated guide to further reading highlighting key critical approaches.This guide provides accessible, informative critical introductions to modern plays for students in both Theatre/Performance Studies and English. Offering up-to-date coverage of a broad range of key plays throughout modern drama, the guides include accounts of performance history, production analysis, screen adaptations and summaries of important critical approaches and debates.

'An indispensable and comprehensive survey of this iconic play's history.' Dominic Cooke, Artistic Director, Royal Court Theatre
Briefly reviewed in the Year's work in English Studies journal, vol 89, No. 1 ‘Sierz not only brings us up to date with current critical debates and controversies about the play ... but also discusses notable recent productions of the play and includes useful extracts from new interviews with actors such as David Tennant, Michael Sheen and Emma Fielding'

Aleks Sierz is theatre critic of Tribune and reviews regularly for other publications. He is a writer, journalist and broadcaster, as well as a part-time academic. He teaches modern drama at Boston University, London.