The 40 best plays of all time

This is one of the 743 lists we use to generate our main The Greatest Books list.

About this list

Independent, 41 Books

Paul Taylor and Holly Williams choose 40 brilliant plays to watch, hear or read

This list was originally published in 2022 and was added to this site over 2 years ago.

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Cover of 'Far Away' by Caryl Churchill
Far Away

Caryl Churchill

Cover of 'Blasted' by Sarah Kane
Blasted

Sarah Kane

Cover of 'Antigone' by Sophocles
Antigone

Sophocles

Cover of 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' by August Wilson
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

August Wilson

Cover of 'Bent' by Martin Sherman
Bent

Martin Sherman

Cover of 'The Government Inspector' by Nikolai Gogol
The Government Inspector

Nikolai Gogol

Cover of 'Old Times' by Harold Pinter
Old Times

Harold Pinter

Cover of 'Purgatory In Ingolstadt' by Marieluise Fleißer
Purgatory In Ingolstadt

Marieluise Fleißer

Cover of 'Pioneers In Ingolstadt' by Marieluise Fleißer
Pioneers In Ingolstadt

Marieluise Fleißer

Cover of 'The Changeling' by Thomas, William Rowley Middleton
The Changeling

Thomas, William Rowley Middleton

Cover of 'Our Country’s Good' by Timberlake Wertenbaker
Our Country’s Good

Timberlake Wertenbaker

Cover of 'Hamlet' by William Shakespeare
Hamlet

William Shakespeare

Cover of 'Henry Iv' by Luigi Pirandello
Henry Iv

Luigi Pirandello

Cover of 'A Raisin In The Sun' by Lorraine Hansberry
A Raisin In The Sun

Lorraine Hansberry

Cover of 'Intimate Apparel' by Lynn Nottage
Intimate Apparel

Lynn Nottage

Cover of 'An Oak Tree' by Tim Crouch
An Oak Tree

Tim Crouch

Cover of 'Sizwe Bansi Is Dead' by Athol Fugard
Sizwe Bansi Is Dead

Athol Fugard

Cover of 'A Streetcar Named Desire' by Tennessee Williams
A Streetcar Named Desire

Tennessee Williams

Cover of 'The Effect' by Lucy Prebble
The Effect

Lucy Prebble

Cover of 'The Seagull' by Anton Chekhov
The Seagull

Anton Chekhov

Cover of 'The Importance of Being Earnest' by Oscar Wilde
The Importance of Being Earnest

Oscar Wilde

Cover of 'One Man, Two Guvnors' by Richard Bean
One Man, Two Guvnors

Richard Bean

Cover of 'A Doll's House' by Henrik Ibsen
A Doll's House

Henrik Ibsen

Cover of 'Machinal' by Sophie Treadwell
Machinal

Sophie Treadwell

Cover of 'Making Noise Quietly' by Robert Holman
Making Noise Quietly

Robert Holman

Cover of 'Private Lives' by Noel Coward
Private Lives

Noel Coward

Cover of 'Mother Courage and Her Children' by Bertolt Brecht
Mother Courage and Her Children

Bertolt Brecht

Cover of 'Faith Healer' by Brian Friel
Faith Healer

Brian Friel

Cover of 'Jerusalem' by Jez Butterworth
Jerusalem

Jez Butterworth

Cover of 'Angels In America' by Tony Kushner
Angels In America

Tony Kushner

Cover of 'Long Day's Journey Into Night' by Eugene O'Neill
Long Day's Journey Into Night

Eugene O'Neill

Cover of 'Medea' by Euripides
Medea

Euripides

Cover of 'Arcadia' by Tom Stoppard
Arcadia

Tom Stoppard

Cover of 'The Dispute' by Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de Marivaux
The Dispute

Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de Marivaux

Cover of 'Happy Days' by Samuel Beckett
Happy Days

Samuel Beckett

Cover of 'John' by Annie Baker
John

Annie Baker

Cover of 'The History Boys' by Alan Bennett
The History Boys

Alan Bennett

Cover of 'Frozen' by Bryony Lavery
Frozen

Bryony Lavery

Cover of 'Life Is a Dream' by Pedro Calderón de la Barca
Life Is a Dream

Pedro Calderón de la Barca

Cover of 'Copenhagen' by Michael Frayn
Copenhagen

Michael Frayn

Cover of 'Oresteia' by Aeschylus
Oresteia

Aeschylus