The development of religious drama in England in the twentieth century

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to trace the history, and examine the artistic achievement, of the modern revival of religious drama. The thesis is divided into four sections. In Section One, the nature of religious drama is defined, and the definition supported by a brief examination of some plays which are of that kind. Section Two is concerned with the revival itself. In Chapter One, an attempt is made to account for it: the reconciliation of Church and Stage in England in the late nineteenth century, the interest shewn in England during that period in the passion Play of Oberammergau, and some 'religious' tendencies apparent in the London theatre at the turn of the century, are considered. in Chapter Two, the history of the revival is traced, from 1871-1952. Section Three is devoted to a critical examination of the most important religious plays written during the period of the revival. Special attention is paid to the work of the last thirty years. The plays are classified, for the purpose of critical discussion, under three headings - Bible Drama, the Church and the Saints, Plays of Modern Life - and are considered in relation to the definition established above. In Section Four, the achievement of this body of work is summed up, and its value assessed. The conclusion reached is that although few of the individual plays achieve artistic excellence, the religious impulse has given modern drama a new vitality. An appendix giving the dates of publication and first performance of the plays considered in Section Three is added, together with a short book-list.