The Ruling Class

Marc Notes: Originally published: as part of Collected plays. London: Heinemann, 1981.; Jack, a possible paranoid schizophrenic with a Messiah complex, inherits the title of the 14th Earl of Gurney after his father passes away in a bizarre accident. Singularly unsuited to a life in the upper echelons of elite society, Jack finds himself at the centre of a ruthless power struggle as his scheming family strives to uphold their reputation. Bubbling with acerbic wit and feverish energy, Olivier Award-winning and Oscar-nominated-writer Peter Barnes' razor-sharp satire combines a ferocious mix of hilarity and horror whilst mercilessly exposing the foibles of the English nobility. Contributor Bio:  Barnes, Peter Peter Barnes (1931-2004) was a British writer and director whose work includes "The Ruling Class "(Nottingham and Piccadilly Theatre, London, 1968), "Leonardo's Last Supper" and "Noonday Demons" (Open Space Theatre, London, 1969), "The Bewitched" (RSC, Aldwych Theatre, London, 1974), "Laughter!" (Royal Court Theatre, 1978), "Red Noses" (RSC, Barbican, 1985) and "Sunsets and Glories" (West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds, 1990). Over the course of his career he won many awards including the Evening Standard Award, 1969; the John Whiting Award, 1969; the Sony Best Play Award, 1981; the Laurence Olivier Award, 1985; the Royal Television society Award for Best TV Play, 1987; and was nominated for an Oscar in 1993.