"Charles Morgan was a distinguished novelist before he moved onto stage drama, with his reputation as a major dramatist established by his first play, The Flashing Stream. Morgan was unique for combining the roles of principal dramatic critic of The Times with that of a practicing dramatist. The Daily Herald wrote that The Flashing Stream would 'indefinitely refute the old idea about the gulf between our preaching and the practice'. It was hailed as 'a masterpiece' by the Manchester Guardian, and also drew praise from The Telegraph who noted that 'it handles a major problem of humanity with passion and intelligence'. The combination of serious themes with dramatic tension and masterly craftsmanship was continued in his other plays, The River Line and The Burning Glass, which are also included in this collection."