In Autumn 1998 playwrights, actors, directors, journalists and other theatre professionals were asked by the Royal National Theatre in London to nominate ten English language, twentieth century plays that they considered "significant." As a result 188 authors were nominated for 377 different plays. Arthur Miller was the most nominated author, closely followed by Harold Pinter and Samuel Beckett.
The results of this canvassing form the basis of NT2000 -- a year long Platforms project charting the progress of drama through the twentieth century, as represented by 100 plays.
By including each playwright only once, with their most voted for work, the project aims to present a broad and diverse picture of the last 100 years of theatre.
ï the one hundred
plays in the NT2000 Platform series
ï most selected playwrights
ï plays receiving the most votes
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| 1. | Waiting for Godot | Samuel Beckett |
| 2 | Death of a Salesman | Arthur Miller |
| 3 | A Streetcar Named Desire | Tennessee Williams |
| 4 | Look Back in Anger | John Osborne |
| 5 | Long Day's Journey into Night | Eugene O'Neill |
| 6 | The Crucible | Arthur Miller |
| 7= | Private Lives
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead |
Noël Coward
Tom Stoppard |
| 9= | Angels in America
The Caretaker |
Tony Kushner
Harold Pinter |
| 11 | Saved | Edward Bond |
| 12 | The Homecoming | Harold Pinter |
| 13= | Pygmalion
Racing Demon |
George Bernard Shaw
David Hare |
| 15 | Juno and the Paycock | Sean O'Casey |
| 16= | Top Girls
Heartbreak House |
Caryl Churchill
George Bernard Shaw |
| 18= | Playboy of the Western World
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? |
J.M. Synge
Edward Albee |
| 20 | The Deep Blue Sea | Terence Rattigan |
| 21 | The Birthday Party | Harold Pinter |
| 22= | An Inspector Calls
Arcadia Loot |
J.B. Priestley
Tom Stoppard Joe Orton |
| 25= | The Norman Conquests
Translations The Glass Menagerie |
Alan Ayckbourn
Brian Friel Tennessee Williams |
| 28= | Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
The Entertainer The Voysey Inheritance |
Tennessee Williams
John Osborne Harley Granville Barker |
| 31 | The Plough and the Stars | Sean O'Casey |
| 32= | Glengarry Glen Ross
No Man's Land |
David Mamet
Harold Pinter |
| 34= | Saint Joan
Journey's End |
George Bernard Shaw
R.C. Sherriff |
| 36= | Our Country's Good
Road The Browning Version Absurd Person Singular |
Timberlake Wertenbaker
Jim Cartwright Terence Rattigan Alan Ayckbourn |
| 40= | The Vortex
View from the Bridge The Weir The Iceman Cometh Endgame |
Noël Coward
Arthur Miller Conor McPherson Eugene O'Neill Samuel Beckett |
| 45= | Nicholas Nickleby
Roots Peter Pan Serjeant Musgrave's Dance What the Butler Saw |
David Edgar
Arnold Wesker J.M. Barrie John Arden Joe Orton |
| 50= | Blithe Spirit
Comedians Pravda Master Harold and the Boys A Taste of Honey Dancing at Lughnasa Betrayal The Front Page Cloud Nine |
Noël Coward
Trevor Griffiths David Hare and Howard Brenton Athol Fugard Shelagh Delaney Brian Friel Harold Pinter Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur Caryl Churchill |
| 59= | Oh What a Lovely War
The Madness of George III Entertaining Mr Sloane Plenty Jumpers Sizwe Bansi is Dead Closer Murder in the Cathedral Absolute Hell |
Joan Littlewood and the Theatre
Workshop
Alan Bennett Joe Orton David Hare Tom Stoppard Athol Fugard, John Kani, Winston Ntshona Patrick Marber T.S. Eliot Rodney Ackland |
| 68= | The Royal Hunt of the Sun
Oleanna Equus Man and Superman All My Sons Waste Skylight |
Peter Shaffer
David Mamet Peter Shaffer George Bernard Shaw Arthur Miller Harley Granville Barker David Hare |
| 75= | Insignificance
The Widowing of Mrs Holroyd Faith Healer Bedroom Farce Serious Money Noises Off When We Are Married Time and the Conways Forty Years On Family Reunion |
Terry Johnson
D.H. Lawrence Brian Friel Alan Ayckbourn Caryl Churchill Michael Frayn J.B. Priestley J.B. Priestley Alan Bennett T.S. Eliot |
| 85= | Dead Funny
The Sea Copenhagen The Daughter-in-Law Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme The Lady's Not for Burning Plunder Amadeus Good Home Run For Your Wife Hay Fever Design for Living Old Times Travesties Present Laughter The Madras House The Philanthropist The Children's Hour |
Terry Johnson
Edward Bond Michael Frayn D.H. Lawrence Frank McGuinness Christopher Fry
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| 104= | Dry Rot
Hobson's Choice AC/DC Abigail's Party Major Barbara The Ruling Class Lear Shadow of a Gunman Dealer's Choice Victory The Seven Streams of the River Ota Destiny A Day in the Death of Joe Egg The Trackers of Oxyrhynchus The Mysteries Fanshen Rutherford and Son Moon on a Rainbow Shawl The Hostage Quartermaine's Terms Happy Days True West Krapp's Last Tape The Zoo Story Men Should Weep My Night With Reg Butley |
John Chapman
Harold Brighouse Heathcote Williams Mike Leigh George Bernard Shaw Peter Barnes Edward Bond Sean O'Casey Patrick Marber Howard Barker Robert Lepage David Edgar Peter Nichols Tony Harrison Tony Harrison David Hare Githa Sowerby Errol John Brendan Behan Simon Gray Samuel Beckett Sam Shepard Samuel Beckett Edward Albee Ena Lamont Stewart Kevin Elyot Simon Gray |