The Sound of Two Hands Clapping by Kenneth Tynan

Kenneth Tynan (1927-80), a legendary figure in twentieth-century theater, wrote a column in the London Observer, served from 1963 to 1973 as a key figure in London's National Theatre, and was a frequent contributor to The New Yorker, as well as the author of Oh! Calcutta!.

John Lahr is the senior drama critic of The New Yorker, where he has written about the theater and popular culture since 1992. He is the author of sixteen books, including Notes on a Cowardly Lion: The Biography of Bret Lahr, Prick Up Your Ears: The Biography of Joe Orton, Dame Edna Everage and the Rise of Western Civilisation, and Show and Tell: New Yorker Profiles.