This is a list of the 20 most influential plays of the modern era.
Once in while a play comes along that, in some significant way, redefines theatre as we know it. These works forge new ground, rebel against social and political norms, shock readers and theatre-lovers, discuss previously taboo subjects, introduce new narrative structures, make us feel uncomfortable with our own truths, and pave the way for those in the future.
This is the criteria for the list, below:
- literary and artistic excellence
- social and political resonance
- historical significance
- impact on theatrical form
- longevity and global influence
All but one play on the list is written in the 20th century.
Note: this list is less concerned with the performance of the works, as there is a separate list soon to be published of the 20 most influential productions of the modern theatre – that list will focus on the premieres of new works that revolutionised casting, directing, staging and design. This list does not.
most Influential Plays of the Modern Era
The Vagina Monologues (1996) – Eve Ensler
Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues emerged in 1996 as a striking new platform for women’s voices, merging personal testimony with confessional performance. Through a series of frank, often humourous monologues, Ensler presented women’s stories in their own words, addressing previously taboo subjects such as sexual desire, childbirth, body image, and violence against women. By adopting a raw, interview-based style, she challenged the traditional boundaries of scripted theatre, thereby highlighting the potency of direct, unembellished voices on stage.
Prior to The Vagina Monologues, discussions of women’s bodies and sexuality in the theatre were largely conducted behind layers of euphemism or avoided altogether. Ensler’s bold willingness to confront patriarchal silence around topics such as pleasure, trauma, and identity invited audiences into a space of empathy and frankness. In doing so, she not only redefined who and what belonged on stage but also emphasised that personal narratives—especially those of historically marginalised groups—could serve as a significant source of collective understanding.
The broader importance of The Vagina Monologues lies in its role as a catalyst for activism. From this production sprang the V-Day campaign, a global initiative aimed at ending violence against women and girls. By using theatre to galvanise communities, shape public discourse, and raise funds for social causes, Ensler provided a powerful model of how performance can operate as both creative expression and a vehicle for tangible social change.
The House of Bernarda Alba (1936) – Federico García Lorca
Federico García Lorca’s The House of Bernarda Alba stands as a haunting exploration of power, gender, and oppression in a rural Spanish household. Written shortly before Lorca’s tragic death, the play centres on a matriarch, Bernarda, who imposes strict rules of mourning and isolation on her five daughters. This claustrophobic setting brims with tension, as Lorca uses poetic language to reveal the simmering passions and resentments beneath a veneer of familial duty.
Much of the play’s power lies in its stark portrayal of how authoritarian structures stifle human desire and autonomy. Lorca’s blending of strict realism with his signature lyrical style brings a sense of ritual and foreboding to domestic life, culminating in a narrative shaped by honour, superstition, and the codes of a rigid society. By mapping out each daughter’s thwarted hopes, the playwright underscores the particular agony of female oppression and the internal conflicts it breeds.
Despite being rooted in early 20th-century Spain, The House of Bernarda Alba goes beyond its original context to speak universally about the costs of repressing instinct and individuality. Directors worldwide have staged the play to reflect cultural and political contexts, often emphasising parallels between Bernarda’s iron rule and other forms of totalitarian or patriarchal dominance. In this way, Lorca’s masterpiece endures as a bold critique of social and familial control, affirming theatre’s ability to illuminate private tragedies with enduring political resonance.
Our Town (1938) – Thornton Wilder
Thornton Wilder’s Our Town revolutionised American drama by discarding elaborate sets and traditional staging to focus on the basics of daily life. Set in the fictional Grover’s Corners, the play traverses birth, love, marriage, and death through a deceptively simple narrative that invites viewers to reflect on the shared human experience. At the heart of this meta-theatrical frame stands the Stage Manager, who breaks the fourth wall to offer commentary and orchestrate scenes with understated directness.
Wilder’s structural choices gave Our Town a timeless, universal quality. Rather than anchoring the play in grand spectacle, he cultivated an environment where audiences concentrate on the subtleties of everyday interactions. The Stage Manager’s gentle guidance encourages viewers to ponder memory, community, and the passage of time—relating their own experiences to those unfolding on stage. Through minimal props and a bare set, Wilder prompts the imagination to supply the lived detail of small-town life.
While initially greeted with some scepticism, Our Town has become a hallmark of American theatre, perennially revived in schools and professional repertories alike. Its enduring popularity stems from Wilder’s lyrical insistence that ordinary lives merit deep reflection. By balancing direct address with philosophical undertones, Our Town exemplifies a quietly radical approach to drama—one that underscores theatre’s capacity to highlight the miracle and fragility inherent in everyday existence.
The Birthday Party (1958) – Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party introduced audiences to the disquieting atmosphere that would become known as the “comedy of menace.” In a dilapidated seaside boarding house, the seemingly trivial celebration of Stanley’s birthday is upended by the arrival of two mysterious men, Goldberg and McCann. Their presence generates an almost intangible sense of threat, born from cryptic implications rather than explicit violence.
The play’s hallmark is its use of pauses, silences, and clipped dialogue to reveal deeper psychological tensions. Pinter deliberately withholds clear explanations of his characters’ pasts or motives, subverting the notion that drama should supply definitive answers. Instead, audiences confront the unsettling truth that language can obfuscate more than it clarifies.
This reticence about backstories, coupled with the characters’ ambiguous relationships, has made The Birthday Party a cornerstone of late 20th-century British theatre. Its shadowy tone and elliptical speech patterns gave rise to the “Pinter pause,” influencing playwrights who sought to capture the unspoken dread or disconnection between people. By inviting spectators to discern unseen motives and feel unease in the ordinary, Pinter’s work broadened the scope of dramatic tension beyond explicit conflict, ushering in an era that recognised silence as a powerful dramatic device.
Look Back in Anger (1956) – John Osborne
John Osborne’s Look Back in Anger unleashed a raw portrayal of class frustration, disillusionment, and generational discord that shook postwar British theatre to its core. Centred on Jimmy Porter, a volatile working-class anti-hero enraged by the complacency of the middle classes, the play threw out the polite drawing-room conventions popular in the West End. In doing so, it captured the voice of a restless youth confronted by Britain’s declining empire and rigid social hierarchies.
Osborne’s dialogue crackles with a ferocity that lays bare the domestic tensions and unfulfilled aspirations of an entire generation. Jimmy’s anger, while sometimes self-destructive, speaks to a stifling social order that hinders both personal growth and honest communication. By refusing to sentimentalise or redeem Jimmy’s outbursts, Osborne demanded a level of engagement from audiences unaccustomed to seeing unvarnished frustration portrayed so bluntly on stage.
The cultural impact of Look Back in Anger extended well beyond its immediate success, inaugurating the “Angry Young Men” movement in British drama. This wave of realistic, politically conscious writing empowered new voices—often from working-class backgrounds—to bring raw social critique into mainstream theatre. Consequently, Osborne’s work not only altered the thematic landscape but also invited a reassessment of how theatre could challenge class prejudice, generational conflict, and the illusions propping up the status quo.
Last update on 2025-01-12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.