Edward Bond dead: British playwright known for Saved, Lear and, The Sea, dies aged 89

British playwright Edward Bond has died at the age of 89. His agency Casarotto Ramsay and Associates said the London-born theatrical firebrand died on Sunday (March 3). The dramatist created a host of plays across his career including Saved, which proved controversial when it was first staged in 1965.

Born in 1934, his early experiences with wartime bombardment and societal dynamics shaped his later works. His first theatrical play, The Pope's Wedding, premiered at the Royal Court in 1962 and delves into the difficulties of a rural town in Essex.

He rose to prominence in the theatrical world three years later with Saved, which was initially banned because of its depiction of violence. When it premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, the controversial depiction of a gang beating a child provoked significant outrage, resulting in legal consequences for the venue.

Notable figures, like Sir Laurence Olivier, rallied in support of the play, urging mature audiences to examine it. He said: “Saved is not a play for children but it is for grown-ups, and the grown-ups of this country should have the courage to look at it.”

Although the Royal Court lost the court battle, Saved is remembered for playing a key part in the elimination of theatrical censorship in 1968. Bond's repertoire also includes interpretations of Shakespearean themes, as shown in his 1973 production The Sea and his 1971 performance of Lear, a reimagining of King Lear.

Tributes have since poured in for Bond, with fellow playwright and dramatist Dan Rebellato describing him 'brutally intelligent'. He said on X: "Edward Bond, one of the giants of postwar British theatre, has died. From Saved (1965) to Summer (1980), he was a peerless writer of brutally intelligent and intelligently brutal plays of an increasingly revolutionary kind. What a legacy, what a body of work. RIP."

Theatre critic Dominic Cavendish wrote: "RIP - Edward Bond. Spoke to him in 2011, ahead of the Lyric Hammersmith revival of Saved - "To me, the play was perfectly obvious. I think a lot of the reviews were vitriolic because I had disturbed something – Saved is telling you something you need to know."