Skip to main content
1960

Roots

Written by Arnold Wesker

Play Details

Context

Artistic Director 
George Devine

Dates Performed

Tuesday 28th June 1960
Main House (Downstairs)

Play Details

Synopsis

A ramshackle house in Norfolk, where a family gathers to meet a long-awaited visitor.

Beatie Bryant, a young woman returning from London, eagerly anticipates introducing her socialist boyfriend Ronnie to her working-class family. As she attempts to prepare her relatives for his arrival, Beatie finds herself caught between two worlds – the intellectual stimulation of her life in the city and the deeply rooted traditions of her rural upbringing.

This poignant drama explores themes of class, education, and the struggle for self-improvement in post-war Britain. Wesker’s keen ear for dialogue brings to life the tensions between generations and the clash of urban and rural values. Through Beatie’s journey of self-discovery, the play examines the concept of “roots” – not just familial ties, but the cultural and intellectual foundations that shape our identities. With humour, warmth, and unflinching honesty, Roots captures a pivotal moment of social change, questioning whether true personal growth is possible without severing one’s connections to the past.

Director(s)

John Dexter

Poster credit

Poster courtesy of V&A Theatre and Performance Archive

Other Productions

Cast & Creative

Cast

Joan Plowright

Cast

Gwen Nelson

Cast

Patsy Byrne

Cast

Charles Kay

Cast

Frank Finlay

Cast

John Colin

Cast

Alan Howard

Cast

Cherry Morris

Cast

Charles Kay

Cast

Joan Plowright

Cast

Frank Finlay

Cast

Gwen Nelson

Cast

John Colin

Cast

Anthony Hall

Cast

Alan Howard

Cast

Cherry Morris

Cast

Terry Palme Patsy Byrne

Cast

Charles Kay

Cast

Joan Plowright

Cast

Frank Finlay

Cast

Gwen Nelson

Cast

John Colin

Cast

Anthony Hall

Cast

Alan Howard

Cast

Cherry Morris

Cast

Terry Palme

Designer

Jocelyn Herbert

Designer

Jocelyn Herbert

You may also like...

Herons

Herons

2001

Simon Stephens

Saved

Saved

1965

Edward Bond

I'm Talking About Jerusalem

I'm Talking About Jerusalem

1960

Arnold Wesker


Want to read the script?

 

 

Visit the Royal Court bookshop