In their 1987 study of post-World War II British drama, Colin Chambers and Mike Prior wrote of playwright Barrie Keeffe: "As a vivid and sharp chronicler of his class, Keeffe is unparalleled." Their assessment highlights the significance of Keeffe's work for the ongoing debate about the "state of the nation" and its values. His plays, which first reached wide audiences during the 1970s, were produced by major English stage companies and complemented by his work for radio, television, and one motion picture. Although many of his plays present dramatic topographies of the East End of London, precise and metaphoric at the same time, revivals and translations into seventeen languages illustrate their transcultural dramatic effectiveness. In his best plays, a strong commitment to social issues, a keen sense of dramatic language and imagery, and a creative awareness of the traditions of the theater find expression.

Barrie Colin Keeffe, the only...