Barnes Plays: 1: The Ruling Class; Leonardo's Last Supper; Noonday Demons; The Bewitched; Laughter!; Barnes' People: Eight Monologues (Contemporary Dramatists)

Peter Barnes was one of the greatest English language playwrights of our time. His almost indescribable plays have a unique mix of tragedy, history, and every kind of comedy (especially the black variety) matched by few other playwrights besides Shakespeare. Other wonderful plays of his include The Bewitched, The Frontiers of Farce, Red Noses, and Sunsets and Glories. And although you would never know it from his plays, he also wrote the tender, magically romantic screen adaptation of the 1992 version of Enchanted April. If you are looking for a playwright who can cover wide vistas and profound themes in a way that keeps you laughing (most of the time), check him out.

Most injoyable reading. The last monologue, "No End to Dreaming", is superb.

There are few playwrights out there as bold, unapologetic, yet accessible and exciting as Barnes. Each work is unique and striking. Definitely worth the read.