The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07.
Arden, John
(är´dn) (KEY) , 1930, English playwright and novelist. In a manner reminiscent of Brecht, Ardens dramas employ songs, poetry, and visceral realism to make sharp, political points. His plays include Sergeant Musgraves Dance (1959), The Island of the Mighty (1972), The Little Grey Home in the West (1978), and a veiled attack on the British occupation of Northern Ireland, Vandaleurs Folly (1981). He has also written two novels and a book of essays, To Present the Pretense (1978).