Granville Barker Plays: 2: The Marrying of Ann Leete; Madras House; His Majesty; Farewell to the Theatre

Harley Granville Barker (1877-1946) was the author of the most thoughtful English plays of the first half of the twentieth century, ranging from intimate to epic. Brilliantly written (Shaw called them 'masterpieces') they were judged to be far ahead of their time on first performance.

The Marrying of Ann Leete, is a thinly veiled costume drama, using an 18th-century tale to reflect on 19th-century reality. It follows the story of Ann, a 'new woman' who is surrounded by a society of manoeuvr...