This collection of three hip hop plays by Conrad Murray and his Beats & Elements collaborators Paul Cree, David Bonnick Junior and Lakeisha Lynch-Stevens, is the first publication of the critically acclaimed theatre-maker's work. The three plays use hip hop to highlight the inequalities produced by the UK's class system, and weave lyricism, musicality and dialogue to offer authentic accounts of inner-city life written by working-class Londoners. The plays are accompanied by two introductory essays: The first gives a specific social and historical context that helps readers make sense of the plays, the second positions hip hop as a contemporary literary form and offers some ways to read hip hop texts as literature. The collection also includes a foreword by leading hip hop theatre practitioner Jonzi D, interviews with the Beats & Elements company, and a glossary of words for students and international readers.

This is the story of the last acrimonious days of the Beatles, a final chapter reconstructing for the first time the seismic events of 1969, the year that saw the band reach new highs of musical creativity and new lows of internal strife. Two years after Flower Power and the hippie idealism of the Summer of Love, the Sixties dream had perished on the vine. By 1969, violence and vindictiveness had replaced the Beatles' own mantra of peace and love, and Vietnam and the Cold War had supplanted hope and optimism. And just as the decade foundered on the altar of a cold, harsh reality, so too did the Beatles. In the midst of this rancour, however, emerged the disharmony of Let It Be and the ragged genius of Abbey Road, their incredible farewell love letter to the world.

In die motto van hierdie reeks liedtekste vra Amanda Strydom: “Moet ek skryf oor die liefde / Moet ek skryf oor politiek / Oor die menslike kondisie / Oor ons blou planeet se siek?”

Dit is ook dan juis wat sy doen – haar vlymskerp lirieke ondersoek hierdie temas op ’n meesterlike wyse. Alhoewel Amanda op die verhoog ’n onvergeetlike belewenis is, bewys Kaalvoet dat haar woorde selfs sonder musiek ’n slag kan slaan.

Kaalvoet het die eerste keer in 2004 verskyn en die destydse drukoplaag het uitverkoop.