John Osborne

John James Osborne was an English playwright, screenwriter, and actor, known for his role in the ‘Angry Young Men’ and ‘Kitchen Sink Realism’ movements of British theatre. Born in London, Osborne was raised by his mother, a bartender, and his father, a commercial artist. His father’s early death in 1941 had a significant impact on Osborne’s formative years. After receiving a life insurance payment, Osborne enrolled in private boarding school, but his schooling ended abruptly when he struck a teacher and was expelled; he later turned to theatre, starting as an actor and eventually writing plays.

Osborne’s breakthrough came with Look Back in Anger (1956), a work that resonated deeply with the disillusioned post-war generation. Throughout his life, Osborne was married five times, often capturing aspects of his turbulent relationships in his writing, which were characterised by intense emotional themes and conflicts. His complex personal life and outspoken personality mirrored the anger and restlessness often depicted in his works, which included other notable plays such as The Entertainer (1957) and Inadmissible Evidence (1964).