Special Sub-Topic: 20th Century Dramatists Click Here To Play: 20th Century Dramatists

Which famous British playwright wrote the plays 'Teechers','Bouncers' and has worked for Hull Truck Theatre Company?

John Godber. Mad Yorkshireman John Godber came from a working class background, but left home to train to become a Drama teacher at the famous Theatre college 'Bretton Hall'. But the good thing for him is that he didn't have to leave home as Bretton Hall was still within Yorkshire boundries by being on the outskirts of Wakefield near Leeds.

In the play and film 'East is East' about a working class Asian family, in which town do the characters live?

Salford. 'East is East' was great for the careers of many Asian actors. For example the actor who plays Dev in Coronation Street became famous from the 'East is East' film.

Which of the following 'schools of thought' was German playwright Bertolt Brecht most sympathetic towards?

Socialism. Although he was a German, Bertolt Bercht had to leave his country in the 1930s when Hitler came to power as the Nazis threatened his life because of his Socialist views. Hitler was very anti-Communist and many of Brecht's socialist friends died with the Jews in the concentration camps. Ironically enough Brecht fled to America where his life was threatened again after the war as the American government suspected him of being a Communist sympathiser and a danger to the USA. He was never actually arrested by the McCarthyism witchhunts as despite his Marxist beliefs he never actually joined a Communist Party.

Which of the following plays can be classed as 'A feminist drama that looks at how silly gender roles are with men and women by also looking at the treatment of black slaves'?

Cloud Nine.

What is the name of Edward Bond's play that is a re-write of Shakespeare's 'King Lear'?

Lear. Only 'Seven Lears' and 'Lear' are actually plays based on 'King Lear'. They both followed the popular trend of the rewriting of Shakespeare plays for socialist purposes during the 1970s and '80s.

Which of these playwrights has written both a football musical and a play about a film director who gets killed by two of his fans who are inspired by the director's violent movies?

Ben Elton. Ben Elton worked with Andrew Lloyd Webber to create 'The Beautiful Game' and he wrote the hit play 'Popcorn' by himself. Although he is well known in the theatre world, he is mainly known as a stand up comedian and a TV scriptwriter of shows like 'The Thin Blue Line'.

Which of the following is a feature of Alan Bennet's 'Talking Heads'?

It is a collection of monologues.

Which sport does the playwright David Storey feature in his film 'This Sporting Life'?

Rugby League. David Storey enjoyed his first trip to the theatre as a youngster so much that he walked all the way home from the theatre in Leeds to his house in Wakefield!

Which of the following plays did Mike Leigh write?

Abigail's Party. 'Abigail's Party' is said to be like 'Waiting for Godot' as it is about nothing.

Who wrote 'Waiting for Godot'?

Samuel Beckett. Like 'Abgail's Party' this is a play about nothing. It was considered the artistic and interlectual genius of its time.