. ▁ ▁The ▁Star ▁Turn s ▁Red ▁( 1 9 4 0 ) ▁is ▁a ▁four - act ▁political ▁alleg ory ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁Star ▁of ▁Beth le hem ▁turns ▁red . ▁The ▁story ▁follows ▁Big ▁Red ▁( who ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁O ' Case y ' s ▁friend , ▁James ▁L ark in ) ▁who ▁is ▁a ▁trade - union ▁leader . ▁The ▁union ▁takes ▁over ▁the ▁un named ▁country ▁despite ▁the ▁r uth less ▁efforts ▁of ▁the ▁S aff ron ▁Sh ir ts , ▁a ▁fasc ist ▁organisation ▁open ly ▁supported ▁by ▁the ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁hierarchy ▁of ▁the ▁country . ▁It ▁was ▁st aged ▁by ▁Unity ▁Theatre ▁in ▁London ▁during ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁( l ater , ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁by ▁the ▁Ab bey ▁in ▁Dublin ). ▁ ▁Pur ple ▁D ust ▁( 1 9 4 3 ) ▁follows ▁two ▁wealth y , ▁material istic ▁English ▁stock bro k ers ▁who ▁buy ▁an ▁ancient ▁Irish ▁m ansion ▁and ▁attempt ▁to ▁restore ▁it ▁with ▁their ▁wrong ▁not ions ▁of ▁T ud or ▁custom s ▁and ▁taste . ▁They ▁try ▁to ▁imp ose ▁upon ▁a ▁community ▁with ▁vast ly ▁different ▁custom s ▁and ▁l ifest yles ▁that ▁are ▁much ▁closer ▁to ▁ancient ▁G ael ic ▁ways ▁and ▁are ▁against ▁such ▁false ▁values . ▁ ▁The ▁English men ▁set ▁their ▁oppos ing ▁standards ▁against ▁those ▁represented ▁by ▁the ▁men ▁employed ▁to ▁renov ate ▁the ▁house . ▁In ▁the ▁resulting ▁confront ation ▁the ▁English ▁are ▁sat ir ised ▁and ▁in