David Harrower (born 1966) is a Scottish

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Readin ...

who (as of 2005) lives in

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

. Harrower has published over 10 original works, as well as numerous translations and adaptations.

Career

Harrower's first play, ''Knives in Hens'', which premiered at Edinburgh's

Traverse Theatre The Traverse Theatre is a theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded as The Traverse Theatre Club in 1962 by John Calder, John Malcolm, Jim Haynes, Richard Demarco, Terry Lane, Andrew Muir, John Martin and Sheila Colvin. The Traverse Th ...

in 1995, was considered a critical and popular success. It deals with a relationship triangle in a rural setting, and a woman's internal quest to find out what she wants from life. Subsequent plays include ''Kill the Old Torture Their Young'' (Traverse, 1998), which follows a disparate group of characters across an unnamed city, mixing realism with poetry and fantasy. '' Presence'' (Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, April 2001) takes another look at the

Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

' residency at the Indra club in Hamburg on the eve of their success, and ''Dark Earth'' (Traverse, August 2003) begins as a broad comedy and turns into a speculation about the meaning of history and the land. Harrower has also written adaptations including: '' The Chrysalids'' (1999), adapted from

John Wyndham John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris (; 10 July 1903 – 11 March 1969) was an English science fiction writer best known for his works published under the pen name John Wyndham, although he also used other combinations of his name ...

's novel, for the National Theatre's Connections project; ''Six Characters Looking for an Author'', a version of Pirandello's ''

Six Characters in Search of an Author ''Six Characters in Search of an Author'' ( ) is an Italian play by Luigi Pirandello, written and first performed in 1921. An absurdist metatheatric play about the relationship among authors, their characters, and theatre practitioners, it p ...

'', first staged at the

Young Vic The Young Vic Theatre is a performing arts venue located on The Cut, near the South Bank, in the London Borough of Lambeth. The Young Vic was established by Frank Dunlop in 1970. Nadia Fall has been artistic director since 2025, succeeding ...

in 2000; Chekhov's ''Ivanov'' (2002), performed at the National Theatre; and Buchner's ''

Woyzeck ''Woyzeck'' () is a stage play written by Georg Büchner. Büchner wrote the play between July and October 1836, yet left it incomplete at his death in February 1837. The play first appeared in 1877 in a heavily edited version by Karl Emil F ...

'', performed at the Edinburgh Lyceum in 2002. He has also translated ''The Girl on the Sofa'' (2002), by

Jon Fosse Jon Olav Fosse (; born 29 September 1959) is a Norwegian author, translator, and playwright. In 2023, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature "for his innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable." Fosse's work spans over se ...

, presented in a joint production by the Edinburgh International Festival and the Schaubuhne, Berlin, and Schiller's ''Mary Stuart'' for the

National Theatre of Scotland The National Theatre of Scotland, established in 2006, is the national theatre company of Scotland. The company has no theatre building of its own; instead it tours work to theatres, village halls, schools and site-specific locations, both at h ...

/Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh/Citizens' Theatre, Glasgow. In 2005, his play '' Blackbird'' was produced by the Edinburgh International Festival, directed by Peter Stein and transferred in February 2006 to the

Albery Theatre Albery is a name. It may refer to: Given name * Albery Allson Whitman (1851−1901), African American poet, minister and orator Surname * A. S. Albery, British politician * Bronson Albery (1881−1971), English theatre director and impresario * Do ...

in London's West EndFisher, Philip
"Blackbird" (review)
''British Theatre Guide'', 2006. Retrieved 2016-03-05. It depicts the meeting between a young woman and a middle-aged man who, fifteen years earlier when she was twelve years old, kidnapped and raped her. In April 2008 the play was revived by David Grindley at the Rose Theatre, Kingston prior to a national tou

In 2011, this play was produced by Rogue Machine in Los Angeles. This production won the LA Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Writing and Lead Performance by Sam Anderson. His play ''365'' was presented by the

at the Edinburgh International Festival in 2008, directed by Vicky Featherstone. The play recounts the stories of 14 young people who have been in care are now living on their own in 'practice flats'. It was subsequently performed in London at the

Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith The Lyric Theatre, also known as the Lyric Hammersmith, is a nonprofit theatre on Lyric Square, off King Street, Hammersmith, London."About the Lyric" > "History" ''Lyric'' official website. Retrieved January 2024. Background The Lyric Theatre ...

. In 2011, he wrote a new version of

Gogol Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol; ; (; () was a Russian novelist, short story writer, and playwright of Ukrainian origin. Gogol used the grotesque in his writings, for example, in his works " The Nose", " Viy", "The Overcoat", and " Nevsky Prosp ...

's classic text, ''

The Government Inspector ''The Government Inspector'', also known as ''The Inspector General'' (, literally: "Inspector"), is a satirical play by Russian dramatist and novelist Nikolai Gogol. Originally published in 1836, the play was revised for an 1842 edition. Base ...

'', produced at London's Young Vic Theatre, directed by Richard Jones and starring ''

The Mighty Boosh The Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from three stage shows, The Mighty Boosh (1998 stage show), ''The Mighty Boosh'', Arctic Boosh, ''Arctic Boosh'' (1999) and Autoboosh, ...

'''s

Julian Barratt Julian Barratt Pettifer (born 4 May 1968) is an English comedian, actor and musician. As a comedian and comic actor, he is known for his use of surreal humour and black comedy. During the 2000s he was part of The Mighty Boosh comedy troupe along ...

and ''

Smack the Pony ''Smack the Pony'' is a British sketch comedy show that was originally broadcast between 1999 and 2003 on Channel 4. The main performers on the show were Fiona Allen, Doon Mackichan and Sally Phillips. There were also regular appearances from ...

'''s

Doon Mackichan Sarah Doon Mackichan (; born 7 August 1962) is a British actress, comedian and writer. She co-created, wrote and performed in the double-Emmy awards, Emmy-award-winning ''Smack the Pony''. She frequently collaborates with Armando Iannucci and S ...

and

Kyle Soller Kyle William Soller (born July 1, 1983) is an American-born, UK-based film, stage, and television actor. His accolades include three ''Evening Standard'' Theatre Awards as well as the 2019 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for his performan ...

Plays

Original plays

* '' Knives in Hens'' * '' Kill the Old Torture Their Young'' * '' Presence'' * ''

Dark Earth In geology and archaeology, dark earth is a substratum, up to thick, that indicates settlement over long periods of time. The material is high in organic matter, including charcoal, which gives it its characteristic dark colour; it may also con ...

'' * '' Blackbird'' * ''

365 365 may refer to: * 365 (number), an integer * a common year, consisting of 365 calendar days * AD 365, a year of the Julian calendar * 365 BC, a year of the 4th century BC Media outlets * 365 (media corporation), Icelandic TV company * 365 ...

'' * '' Lucky Box'' * '' A Slow Air'' * ''

Ciara Ciara Princess Wilson ( ; Harris; born October 25, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer and actress. She was discovered by record producer Jazze Pha in the early 2000s, and rose to prominence with her debut studio album, ''Goodies ...

'' * '' 54% Acrylic''

Adaptations and translations

* ''

'' * '' The Chrysalids'' * ''

Tales from the Vienna Woods "Tales from the Vienna Woods" (, occasionally ) is a waltz by Johann Strauss II. Composed in 1868, , Op. 325, was one of six Viennese waltzes by Johann Strauss II which featured a virtuoso part for zither. The title of Strauss' dance recall ...

'' * ''

Ivanov Ivanov, Ivanoff or Ivanow (masculine, , Sometimes the stress is on Ива́нов in Bulgarian if it is a middle name, or in Russian as a rare variant of pronunciation), or Ivanova (feminine, , ) is one of the most common surnames in Russia and Bu ...

'' * ''

'' * '' The Girl on the Sofa'' * '' Mary Stuart'' * ''

The Good Soul of Szechuan ''The Good Person of Szechwan'' (, first translated less literally as ''The Good Man of Setzuan'') is a play written by the German dramatist Bertolt Brecht, in collaboration with Margarete Steffin and Ruth Berlau. The play was begun in 1938 but no ...

'' for

* ''Sweet Nothings'' (after

Arthur Schnitzler Arthur Schnitzler (15 May 1862 – 21 October 1931) was an Austrian author and dramatist. He is considered one of the most significant representatives of Viennese Modernism. Schnitzler’s works, which include psychological dramas and narratives ...

's ''Liebelei'') for the

* ''

'' for

* ''Calum's Road'' for the

Bibliography

*''Knives in Hens'' Methuen, 1997 *''Kill the Old Torture their Young'' Methuen, 1998 *''Presence'' Faber and Faber, 2001 *''Six Characters Looking for an Author'' (

Luigi Pirandello Luigi Pirandello (; ; 28 June 1867 – 10 December 1936) was an Italians, Italian dramatist, novelist, poet, and short story writer whose greatest contributions were his plays. He was awarded the 1934 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his bold and ...

) in a new version for the

Methuen, 2001 *''The Chrysalids'' (adaptation) Faber and Faber, 2001 *''Ivanov'' (

Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; ; 29 January 1860 – 15 July 1904) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer, widely considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career as a playwright produced four classics, and his b ...

) in a new version for the

Royal National Theatre The National Theatre (NT), officially the Royal National Theatre and sometimes referred to in international contexts as the National Theatre of Great Britain, is a performing arts venue and associated theatre company located in London, England, ...

Oberon, 2002 *''Purple'' (Jon Fosse) Faber and Faber/NT Connections, 2002 *''The Girl on the Sofa'' (Jon Fosse) Oberon, 2002 *''Dark Earth'' Faber and Faber, 2003 *''Tales from the Vienna Woods'' (Ödön von Horváth) in a new version for the RNT Faber and Faber, 2003

References

Sources

Theatre Record ''Theatre Record'' is a periodical that reprints reviews, production photographs, and other information about the British theatre. Overview ''Theatre Record'' was founded in 1981 by Ian Herbert and has been published fortnightly since January 1 ...

and its annual Indexes * Aleks Sierz: ''In-Yer-Face Theatre. British Drama Today''. 2001

External links

British Council profile

August 2005; Philip Fisher, interviewer
Harrower at agent Casarotto Ramsay

Harrower CV

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Harrower, David 21st-century Scottish dramatists and playwrights 1966 births Living people Writers from Edinburgh