Absolute Hell

Fiction & Literature, Drama, British & Irish, Nonfiction, Entertainment
Cover of the book Absolute Hell by Rodney Ackland, Oberon Books
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Rodney Ackland ISBN: 9781783192199
Publisher: Oberon Books Publication: March 22, 2017
Imprint: Oberon Books Language: English
Author: Rodney Ackland
ISBN: 9781783192199
Publisher: Oberon Books
Publication: March 22, 2017
Imprint: Oberon Books
Language: English

Set in a Soho drinking Club just after World War II, this savage, witty slice of Bohemian life in London was reviled by one critic as ‘an insult to the British people’. Its title then was The Pink Room, as close as the law would allow for a play in which one of its central characters is a drunken homosexual writer. Despite these obstacles, Absolute Hell is now regarded as a twentieth-century classic, following a sumptuous revival at the National Theatre, starring Dame Judi Dench. Earlier the play had been televised by Channel 4 after being rediscovered by the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond, near to where the author Rodney Ackland was living in virtual obscurity. The play is remarkable for two reasons: It offers a realistic view of postwar London, in contrast to the nostalgic memories of the blitz and buzz bombs; Ackland’s craft is consummate, weaving together the lives of 20 speaking characters, many of them lost souls as they drift in and out of the bar in search of a more meaningful life. Ackland died in poverty, having written some of the finest plays of our time.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Set in a Soho drinking Club just after World War II, this savage, witty slice of Bohemian life in London was reviled by one critic as ‘an insult to the British people’. Its title then was The Pink Room, as close as the law would allow for a play in which one of its central characters is a drunken homosexual writer. Despite these obstacles, Absolute Hell is now regarded as a twentieth-century classic, following a sumptuous revival at the National Theatre, starring Dame Judi Dench. Earlier the play had been televised by Channel 4 after being rediscovered by the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond, near to where the author Rodney Ackland was living in virtual obscurity. The play is remarkable for two reasons: It offers a realistic view of postwar London, in contrast to the nostalgic memories of the blitz and buzz bombs; Ackland’s craft is consummate, weaving together the lives of 20 speaking characters, many of them lost souls as they drift in and out of the bar in search of a more meaningful life. Ackland died in poverty, having written some of the finest plays of our time.

More books from Oberon Books

Cover of the book The Oberon Book of Monologues for Black Actors: Classical and Contemporary Speeches from Black British Plays: Monologues for Women – Volume 1 by Rodney Ackland
Cover of the book The Good Soldier by Rodney Ackland
Cover of the book Grounded by Rodney Ackland
Cover of the book Victory Condition by Rodney Ackland
Cover of the book The 40 Minute Tempest / King Ram by Rodney Ackland
Cover of the book Where There's a Will by Rodney Ackland
Cover of the book Joy and Tyranny by Rodney Ackland
Cover of the book Right Now by Rodney Ackland
Cover of the book Hercules by Rodney Ackland
Cover of the book Dramatic Critic: Selected Reviews (1922-1939) by Rodney Ackland
Cover of the book Brand by Rodney Ackland
Cover of the book Hobson's Choice by Rodney Ackland
Cover of the book This Flesh Is Mine by Rodney Ackland
Cover of the book Richard Bean: Plays Three by Rodney Ackland
Cover of the book Elephant by Rodney Ackland
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy