Acknowledgements
A Note on Sources
Introduction
Chapter One
War: Comic, Tragic and Nostalgic
While the Sun Shines (1943)
Worm’s Eye View (1945)
Seagulls Over Sorrento (1950)
Reluctant Heroes (1950)
War Horse (2007)
Chapter Two
Crime: Classical, Farcical and Postmodern
The Mousetrap (1952)
Simple Spymen (1958)
Sleuth (1970)
The Business of Murder (1981)
Chapter Three
Sex: Comic, Episodic and Ironic
There’s a Girl in My Soup (1966)
Pyjama Tops (1969)
Oh! Calcutta! (1969)
No Sex, Please — We’re British (1971)
Chapter Four
Family: Traditional, Redemptive and Fractured
‘Sailor, Beware!’ (1955)
Spring and Port Wine (1965)
The Man Most Likely To (1968)
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (2012)
Chapter Five
Class: Musical, Parodic and Political
Charlie Girl (1965)
Daisy Pulls It Off (1983)
Blood Brothers (1983)
Billy Elliot the Musical (2005)
Chapter Six
History: Gothic, Edwardian and Pastiche
The Phantom of the Opera (1986)
The Woman in Black (1987)
The 39 Steps (2006)
One Man, Two Guvnors (2011)
Chapter Seven
Fantasy: Whimsy, Camp and Sci-fi
Salad Days (1954)
The Rocky Horror Show (1973)
Return to the Forbidden Planet (1989)
Matilda the Musical (2010)
Conclusion — Dream Life of the British People
Appendix 1: List of new shows from 1940 until the end of 2015 with more than 1,000 performances (by run length)
Appendix 2: List of new shows from 1940 until the end of 2015 with more than 1,000 performances (by date)
Notes
Bibliography
Index