Kitchen sink realism (or
kitchen sink drama) is a term coined to describe a
British cultural movement that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in
theatre,
art,
novels,
film and
television plays, whose protagonists usually could be described as "
angry young men" who were disillusioned with modern society. It used a style of
social realism, which depicted the domestic situations of
working class Britons living in cramped rented accommodation and spending their off-hours drinking in grimy
pubs, to explore controversial social issues and political controversies ranging from
abortion to
homelessness. The harsh, realistic style contrasted sharply with the
escapism of the previous generation's so-called "
well-made plays".