The Absence of War offers a meditation on the classic problems of leadership, and is the third part of a critically acclaimed trilogy of plays ( Racing Demon , Murmuring Judges ) about British institutions. Its unsparing portrait of a Labour Party torn between past principles and future prosperity, and of a deeply sympathetic leader doomed to failure, made the play hugely controversial and prophetic when it was first presented at the National Theatre, London, in 1993. The Absence of War is much more than a piece of skilled reporting. It is actually cast as a classic tragedy.' Guardian.