Description
Book SynopsisJohn McGrath was born in Birkenhead, Cheshire, in 1935. After national service and Oxford University, he wrote and directed for theatre and television, as well as writing for cinema. Early work included
Z-Cars for BBC-TV (1962),
Events While Guarding the Bofors Gun (1966) and the screenplay for
Billion Dollar Brain (1976). In 1971, together with Elizabeth MacLennan, he co-founded the 7:84 Theatre Company, which divided into Scottish and English companies in 1973 with McGrath remaining as Artistic Director of both. During his career McGrath wrote over 60 plays, including
Fish in the Sea(1972),
The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black, Black Oil (1973),
Blood Red Roses (1980),
Border Warfare (1989),
Watching for Dolphins (1992) and, most recently,
HyperLynx (2001). He was twice Visiting Fellow in Theatre at Cambridge University. His previous books include
A Good Night Out(1981),
The Bone Won't Break (1990) and
Trade ReviewArguably the single most important show in the whole history of Scottish theatre. * Scotsman *
As play it has everything, and it throws it at you in generous handfuls; laughter, farce, drama, live song and dance, finely researched political intent. . . . a love song to a beautiful, damaged culture and a warning of the dangers of unchecked capitalism it still rings astonishingly true. * Independent *
[McGrath] was Britain's Brecht, Scotland's Dario Fo . . . A creative powerhouse who was often out of fashion, but never out of action . . . Today, few speak, far less make theatre, with such ideological intent. * Guardian *
Table of ContentsForeword by Kate McGrath The Play
