Popular plays revel in topicality and reap rewards from their engagements with something resembling the carpe diem philosophy relished by Metaphysical poets in the camp of the ‘Cavaliers’ of the seventeenth century.  They seize every opportunity to take the best advantage of topical references and strike the hot iron of burning popular issues, things that are in fashion and whatever is current in social behaviour or political affairs.

The principles of carpe diem were a bit different as advanced by those Metaphysicals, but it has certainly not been alien to the practice of popular theatre.  Not only does it adopt the current morality of the contemporary popular culture, but it thrives on the use of styles and techniques that will appeal to the populace as much as it does with topical subjects.

Interestingly, in this respect, popular theatre has not changed since the rise of the Morality Play in the Middle Ages, where pitched battles between …..