The subject of this thesis is the contemporary British drama. Firstly the thesis performs a brief excursion into the context of the origin of the plays. It summarises the basic facts about the British theatre system, the development of British criticism and of the British association of the critics The Critics' Circle. The thesis deals with the plays awarded with The Critics' Circle Theatre Award for the best new play between years 2000 and 2010. These are Blue / Orange by Joe Penhall, Humble Boy Charlotte Jones, The York Realist by Peter Gill, Democracy by Michael Frayn, The History Boys by Alan Bennett, Harvest by Richard Bean, Rock'n'Roll by Tom Stoppard, A Disappearing Number by Simon McBurney and Complicite, August: Osage County by Tracy Letts, Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth, and Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris. Subsequently, based on the overall analysis of all eleven awarded plays the thesis gives the assessment of their common features in terms of dramatic form and also in the terms of theme. Finally it deals with the British as well as Czech critical reflections of the particular plays. It attempts to draw conclusions about the nature of contemporary British drama in relation to the British criticism.