Sir Arnold Wesker, British playwright, dies aged 83

 

Leading British playwright Sir Arnold Wesker, who came to prominence in the late 1950s with his gritty, working class dramas, has died aged 83.

He died on Tuesday evening after a long illness, his widow Lady Wesker said.
He first established his reputation with the Wesker Trilogy at the Royal Court theatre in central London.
During his life he wrote more than 40 plays, as well as short stories, essays and poetry over five decades.
One of his most successful plays, Chips with Everything, was inspired by his own experiences in the RAF.

Sir Arnold, who had his plays performed all over the world, was born in the East End of London in 1932 to Jewish communist parents.