English drama the stage. Again In the 1950s, the absurdist play "Waiting for Godot" (1955) (originally "En attendant Godot", 1952), by the French resident, Irishman Samuel Beckett profoundly affected British drama. The Theatre of the Absurd influenced Harold Pinter (1930-2008), (The Birthday Party, 1958), whose works are often characterised by menace or claustrophobia. Beckett also influenced Tom Stoppard (1937-) ("Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead",1966). Stoppard's works are, however, also notable for their high-spirited wit and the great range of intellectual issues which he tackles in different plays. Both Pinter and Stoppard continued to have new plays produced into the 1990s. Michael Frayn
James Crawford (playwright) Wattle Dance Group. In 1969, Crawford created a play titled the "Billets or Badges" for the Queensland Centenary celebrations. This play was about the famous Tramways Strike in Brisbane during 1912 and made quite an impact among the audience. The last full-length play that Jim Crawford wrote was "The Cavern and the Tavern". Jim Crawford died on 11 November 1973 of myocardial infarction in the Greenslopes Respiration Hospital. He had no children but was survived by his wife, Pamela. Crawford was known for his good humour which was aimed at the enemies of the workers. Jim Crawford was a Realist