Of all the plays written by Harley Granville Barker, Waste is the most significant and the most notorious. Described by The Athenaeum as “the most important event of our recent theatrical history”, part of its significance comes from its role in the battle against theatre censorship in Britain, where it highlighted the inconsistencies and inadequacies of the system (n.a., 1907). The play was originally written for Barker and J. E. Vedrenne’s 1907 season at the Savoy Theatre. However, a month before the scheduled opening, the pair were informed that its licence was refused. A lengthy debate over the pages of many national newspapers followed, where Waste became a rallying call for the …
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Citation: Burt, Philippa. "Waste". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 20 August 2019 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=38887, accessed 22 November 2024.]
