History
In a program note of a 1990 performance, Burgess explains that "for 28 years, I was receiving requests from amateur pop groups for permission to present their own versions. These were so abysmally bad that I was forced to eventually pre-empt other perversions with an authoritative rendering of my own," thus A Clockwork Orange: A Play with Music was published in 1987. It reached a global audience and achieved success for years, especially with college drama groups as its source appeals to that youthful generation (The International Anthony Burgess Foundation). Burgess does state that this was only ever intended to be just a draft for further remodels, and it's since been readapted again by The Royal Shakespeare Company and Steppenwolf Theater Company.
In terms of the historical context, the 1980s in the UK were overall a pretty optimistic time. It was a time of "rising prosperity and rising house prices" ("The 80s"). England saw a bad recession in the early years of the decade, but economic reform soon reversed that and by the middle years, the standards of living were higher than they'd ever been. With technology, pop-punk music, and exclusive fashion brands rising in popularity, Burgess had to adapt his pessimistic and dreary novel into a fun musical experience to reflect these times and appeal to the optimism of his audience.
In terms of the historical context, the 1980s in the UK were overall a pretty optimistic time. It was a time of "rising prosperity and rising house prices" ("The 80s"). England saw a bad recession in the early years of the decade, but economic reform soon reversed that and by the middle years, the standards of living were higher than they'd ever been. With technology, pop-punk music, and exclusive fashion brands rising in popularity, Burgess had to adapt his pessimistic and dreary novel into a fun musical experience to reflect these times and appeal to the optimism of his audience.
