Who is David Edgar?
The playwright was born in Birmingham on 26 February 1948. His actor parents met on the stage door steps of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, and his aunt, Nancy Burman, was Rep director Barry Jackson’s production manager during his period as director of the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in the late 1940s.
David was educated at Oundle School and studied drama at Manchester University. After a short career in journalism, he took up writing full-time in 1972.
He has had more than 60 plays performed and 37 published. His plays have been performed around the world, in the UK, Ireland, throughout Europe, the US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Japan. He has written widely for radio and television, and wrote the 1986 film Lady Jane, directed by Trevor Nunn.
He has also written books on theatre, politics and playwriting. His book, How Plays Work has become a classic analysis of the playwright’s art.
