The Play of Kes

by Barry Hines, Allan Stromach

Stage play of KES by Barry Hines and Allan Stronach. Rare hardcover edition.

Genres: Classics, Plays

96 pages, Hardcover

First published April 27, 1993

About the author

Barry Hines (June 30, 1939 – March 18, 2016) was an English author, playwright, and screenwriter. His novels and screenplays explore the political and economic struggles of working-class Northern England, particularly in his native West Riding / South Yorkshire.

He is best known for the novel A Kestrel for a Knave (1968), which he helped adapt for Ken Loach's film Kes (1969). He also collaborated with Loach on adaptations of his novels Looks and Smiles (1981) and The Gamekeeper, and a 1977 two-part television drama adaption of his book The Price of Coal.

He also wrote the television film Threads, which depicts the impact of a nuclear war on Sheffield.

Reviews

[Lariza Agius Mashevskaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for my English class, I´m pretty sure I´m one of the few students who actually read it.
A simple play with a meaning.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life is tough and cheerless for Billy, a troubled teenager growing up in the small Yorkshire mining town of Barnsley. Treated as a failure at school, and unhappy at home, Billy discovers a new passion in life when he finds Kes, a kestrel hawk. Billy identifies with her silent strength and she inspires in him the trust and love that nothing else can, discovering through her the passion missing from his life.

[Ryan O'Pray · Rating 3 out of 5]

A brief and episodic child-friendly version of the story that would suit many reluctant readers. The social justice themes of the story are still relevant despite the change in relevant industries; the dialogue could be easily adapted and the play as a whole open to effective improvisation from relevant players.

It could be longer, it could be this or that, but there’s just enough for a short engagement with a class; and the critical reading activities at the back of this edition are exhaustive.

[Millie (Gears) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t have much to say other than I loved it. I read it without knowing that this play is pretty much a condensed version of an actual book so after I read it and loved it as much as I did I had to buy the book and I ended up loving it too. 5 stars for both. Short, sad and memorable, a new favourite.

[Frederik · Rating 1 out of 5]

Un peu trop vieille école pour moi qui ressemble trop á ce qu'on a été forcé á lire a l'écolé primaire. Néanmoins, l'histoire d'amour entre un enfant et son oiseau n'est pas completement dépourvu de charme.

[Jason Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book at school and loved it, Billy was a great character and the setting in Yorkshire was so real I felt that I was there. It was one of those books that has stuck with me all these years :)

[Nikola Glushkov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow! This book made me think that many people on this world do not live an enjoyable life. Some are starving, some homeless and in most of the cases, people are having all of this in one.......... Just a great, great book although at first I had struggle to understand the English used..... :D

[Fin · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is an extraordinnary story of the friendship between a boy and a bird.
I recommend it eventhough it is terribly sad and heart-breaking, especially at the end, where one single element can change the course of everything...

[Amy Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book although it is quite old it is still a good book to read I would recommend

[Aysha Bigg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic!

[Claire Cappetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good classic book showing the North of England in it's realism

[Usheueeb Usyebe · Rating 1 out of 5]

eagle go weeeeee

[Louisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very old school