Edward Bond, a British playwright known for his "edged" approach to theatre and his relentless social commentaries, whose "Saved" production launched his fame into worldwide appeal and sparked his spat against Royal censorship, passed away last Sunday, March 3. He was 89.
That said, he is more than his pointed use of theatrical storytelling and language, as evident in his expansively built repertoire of works spanning over 50 stage productions, including momentous projects like "Lear" and "The Sea."
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Bond's actor and director colleague Samuel West gave an impassioned tribute in light of the playwright's recent death, saying, "His work was like nobody else's: passionate, serious, principled, anguished, strange, completely original."
"Europe was in no doubt that he was a theatrical giant," continued West, who performed in the 1991 Sam Mendes revival of The Sea" at the National Theatre.
Edward Bond's Origins and Legacy Against Censorship
North London-born Bond, who entered the world in 1934, was an autonomous child and taught himself how to read using his mother's shopping catalogs. By age 15, the headstrong playwright would then leave school altogether.
According to him, he had his first run-in with the wonderful pull of theatrics when he witnessed his sister being cut in half as a magician's assistant in his hometown's local music hall.
Later on, this novel fascination would then be inundated with grittiness as informed by his experiences while living in the depths of a war-stricken society, and eventually, all of these elements gave shape to his unapologetic approach.
Although this modus operandi would land him in trouble against contemporaries and cast members alike later in his life, it proved to be instrumental in cementing his early career as part of the Royal Court theatre's group of writers.
Three years after the successful opening of his debut production in 1962, cheekily dubbed "The Pope's Wedding," his most influential work, "Saved," was given "life" and consequently spread his notoriety across and beyond the country.
The play's vivid tackling of purposeless, highly-agitated urban violence caused countless public outcries, specifically, because of a particular scene depicting an infant in a baby carriage being viciously stoned to death.
Despite several theatre icons and legends coming to defend Bond and his work, "Saved" eventually faced censorship at the hands of Lord Chamberlain, refusing to grant the production a license to start performances.
However, this ban had the opposite effect and would establish the playwright as an international sensation and a "colossus of the world stage," according to The Guardian.
Following Bond's show, which also received vitriolic reviews opposite of the acclaim, his representative, The Royal Court, was undaunted in presenting the playwright's next controversial play, "Early Morning."
Not unlike "Saved," this particular stage production also possessed copious amounts of shock value, as it portrayed Queen Victoria murdering Prince Albert and forcing herself on Florence Nightingale, alongside a vividly disturbing scene involving her birthing conjoined twins.
Even though it was heavily satirical, it incurred the wrath of Royal censors once more, that said, performances continued under the guise of being "dress rehearsals."
This back-to-back banning of Bond's plays greatly influenced the conception of a movement against theatre censorship by 1968. Now, these two shows are widely regarded as momentous works that brought about the abolition of such a censor-filled system.
His brash personality and approach aside, Bond's legacy and career are an undeniable core to today's theatre, highlighting the playwright's unequivocal genius.
