Mr Thomas (NHB Modern Plays)

In a dingy London bedsit in the late 1950s, George is planning a night on the town with his friend Gordon. Weaver wants to come too, and soon Mrs Tebbit, the landlady, has been invited. But when Mr Thomas shows up, the night takes a strange and sinister turn... Kathy Burke's first play is a gritty, darkly funny look at attitudes to homosexuality in the 1950s, a portrait of repressed sexuality and alcoholism - and an homage to the great masters of British theatre, Wilde, Coward, Pinter and Orton. Mr Thomas premiered at the Old Red Lion Theatre, London, in January 1990, directed by the playwright, and starring Ray Winstone as Weaver. Re-issued in this new edition, the play provides rich opportunities for theatre companies, and is a fascinating insight into the work of one of our best-loved actresses.

Born in Islington in 1964, Kathy Burke trained at the Anna Scher Theatre. She made her professional acting debut in the 1982 film Scrubbers. She won an RTS Award for Mr Wroe's Virgins, a British Comedy Award for Gimme Gimme Gimme, the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival for Nil by Mouth, and Loaded Magazine's Woman of the Decade Award in the 1990s. She also wrote the autobiographical mini-series Walking and Talking for Sky Arts. Her favourite theatre directing jobs include Out in the Open by Jonathan Harvey, The Quare Fellow by Brendan Behan, and born bad by debbie tucker green.