Peter Whelan (3 October 1931 – 3 July 2014) was a British

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 ...

. Whelan was born and raised in

Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent (often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England. It has an estimated population of 259,965 as of 2022, making it the largest settlement in Staffordshire ...

, England. As a student from 1951–55 Whelan was an inspirational figure in the newly-formed Drama Society at the experimental University College of North Staffordshire, later

Keele University Keele University is a Public university#United Kingdom, public research university in Keele, approximately from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. Founded in 1949 as the University College of North Staffordshire, it was granted uni ...

. At Keele he met his wife Frangcon Price, who also excelled in drama as a student and in her later career. They married in 1958. His works includes seven plays for the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...

, most of which are period pieces based on real historical events. The first of these was ''Captain Swing'' in 1979. Another was '' The Herbal Bed'', about a court case involving

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's daughter. It was first produced at the RSC's The Other Place theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, in 1996 and was revived at The Duchess Theatre from April to October 1997. In 2008, his play '' The School of Night'', originally produced at The Other Place theatre, in November 1992, made its US debut at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. It fictionalizes the relationships between Shakespeare,

Christopher Marlowe Christopher Marlowe ( ; Baptism, baptised 26 February 156430 May 1593), also known as Kit Marlowe, was an English playwright, poet, and translator of the Elizabethan era. Marlowe is among the most famous of the English Renaissance theatre, Eli ...

, Thomas Kyd and

Sir Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebellio ...

as well as the events leading up to Marlowe's death. In January 2018, his play ''Sleepers in the Field'' had its world premiere at The Questors Theatre, in Ealing, London. Important papers of his are stored in the

Borthwick Institute for Archives The Borthwick Institute for Archives is the specialist archive service of the University of York, York, England. It is one of the biggest archive repositories outside London. The Borthwick was founded in 1953 as The Borthwick Institute of Histori ...

in the Library of the

University of York The University of York (abbreviated as or ''York'' for Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a public Collegiate university, collegiate research university in York, England. Established in 1963, the university has expanded to more than thir ...

Plays

* ''Double Edge'' (1975) co-written with Leslie Darbon * ''Captain Swing'' (1979) * '' The Accrington Pals'' (1981) * ''Clay'' (1982) * ''A Cold Wind Blowing Up'' (1983) co-written with Leslie Darbon * ''World's Apart'' (1986) * ''The Bright and Bold Design'' (1991) * '' The School of Night'' (1992) * ''Shakespeare Country'' (1993) * ''The Tinder Box'' (1995) * ''The Divine Right'' (1996) * '' The Herbal Bed'' (1996) * ''Nativity'' (1997) co-written with Bill Alexander * ''Overture'' (1997) * ''A Russian in the Woods'' (2001) * ''The Earthly Paradise'' (2004) * ''Sleepers in the Field'' (2009)

References

External links

Peter Whelan talks about the childhood influences that led to him becoming a playwright. Video Interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whelan, Peter 1931 births 2014 deaths People from Stoke-on-Trent Alumni of Keele University Royal Army Educational Corps soldiers English male dramatists and playwrights Writers from Staffordshire 20th-century English dramatists and playwrights 20th-century English male writers British republicans 20th-century British Army personnel Military personnel from Stoke-on-Trent