Arnold Wesker (1932-2016)

Etienne, Anne

Arnold Wesker (1932-2016)

Files

AW LitEncyc rev.2023.pdf(130.36 KB)

Accepted Version

AW LitEncyc rev.2023.docx(27.63 KB)

Author's original accepted version

Date

2004-12-07

Authors

Etienne, Anne

Publisher

The Literary Dictionary Company Limited

Abstract

One of the foremost playwrights of his generation, Arnold Wesker is considered something of an outsider in England, an assertion made by critics Ronald Bryden in 1966 and Michael Billington in 2000. Wesker is never where the audience, or the Establishment, expects him to be. He is not an agent provocateur, but a writer for whom words should be bridges, meant to prompt action. Acclaimed for his first five plays, his trademark experimentation with style has created some resistance from critics and public alike. He has written 44 plays to date, as well as short stories, film and television scripts, poetry and the essays collected in Fears of Fragmentation, which describe his vision of Centre 42, Distinctions and Wesker on Theatre. He is currently finishing his first novel. However, only two of his plays (Caritas, 1980, and Love Letters on Blue Paper, 1976) have been produced at the National Theatre. In addition, his chance at a Broadway opening foundered with the death of Zero Mostel, the star actor in Shylock (1976), his version of The Merchant of Venice.

Keywords

Arnold Wesker (1932-2016) , Playwright

Citation

Etienne, A. (2004) 'Arnold Wesker (1932-2016)', The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 07 December 2004; last revised 17 January 2022. Available at: https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4663 (Accessed 03 March 2025)