The only edition of the play available containing a full introduction and aids for study Saved is one of the most important plays to emerge from Britain in the 1960s and has had considerable influence on scores of playwrights since Edward Bond's work has made an indelible mark on much of contemporary British theatre, with plays such as Saved, Lear, Restoration and Early Morning contributing to the enormous reputation of the writer Edward Bond is 'a great playwright - many, particularly in continental Europe, would say the greatest living English playwright.' Independent

Described by Edward Bond as 'almost irresponsibly optimistic', Saved is a play set in London in the sixties and reflects a time of social change. Its subject is the cultural poverty and frustration of a generation of young people on the dole and living on council estates. The play was first staged privately in November 1965 at the Royal Court Theatre for members of the English Stage Society at a time when plays were still censored. With its scenes of violence, including the stoning of a baby in its pram, Saved became a notorious play and a cause celebre. It has since had a profound influence on a whole new generation of writers who emerged in the 1990s. Commentary and notes by David Davis.