Henry Arthur Jones was among the most prominent British dramatists of
his day. A contemporary of Pinero, Wilde and Shaw, he did his best to
elevate drama to the level of literature whilst constructing plays that
were also successful in the commercial theatre. Though some of his
contemporaries considered him cynical and daring, he strove to confront
major issues without offending accepted social and dramatic conventions.
This volume contains three of Jones's ninety-odd plays, representing the
best of his work in different styles: melodrama and society drama. The
Silver King (1882), the story of a man, falsely accused of murder, was
Jones's first great success. It is one of the best melodramas ever
written, and won high praise from Matthew Arnold for its literary merit
and convincing characterisation. Jones's interest in the 'New Woman' of
the 1890s is expressed in the lively dialogue of The Case of Rebellious
Susan (1894), whose heroine is advised to renounce her new lover and
return to her faithless husband - scarely a radical conclusion, but
sympathetically handled. The Liars (1897) is a fine comedy of manners
which again considers the question of marriage and the role of women in
society. Dr Jackson's full introduction places Jones in the context of
late Victorian society and theatre and describes his other literary
activities - the published letters and essays on drama - as well as
discussing some of the plays not included here. The volume is
illustrated by contemporary production prints.
