Look Back In Anger was one of the first British plays to portray working class life. Household chores appeared on stage for the first time. Alison’s ironing board became iconic.

The play is about the frustration of an educated young man confronted with the impenetrable class system and dearth of opportunities in postwar Britain. Jimmy longs for a cause that would give his life meaning. At the heart of the play is his relationship with Alison, his wife, their need for each other and the impossibility of expressing it that makes them hurt each other instead.

I tried playing them both in acting school. Now that I’ve seen the light and gone into set design, I really had to do this: