Arden, John (är'dun) [key], 1930–, English playwright and novelist. In a manner reminiscent of Brecht, Arden's dramas employ songs, poetry, and visceral realism to make sharp, political points. His plays include Sergeant Musgrave's 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, Vandaleur's Folly (1981). He has also written two novels and a book of essays, To Present the Pretense (1978).
