David Peimer

David Peimer, playwright and director, lectures on Central and Eastern European Theatre. Born in South Africa, he founded Myth Inc. Theatre Company in the 1980’s to write and direct anti-apartheid theatre (he has done theatre work in rural Zululand and the township of Soweto); his plays include The Last Revolt, Scavenger’s Dream, and Serpent’s Mate. He was imprisoned and interrogated for some of his work.

In the late 1980’s, Peimer was a Fulbright Scholar at Columbia University. He won a French government prize, the purpose of which was to direct in New York. He has presented papers at Oxford, London, Columbia, Toronto, Bristol, and Charles (Prague) Universities, and also taught at most of these universities as well as being guest resident theatre artist. He has directed and written new South African theatre which has been staged in Johannesburg, London, Bristol (UK), Germany and Cape Town. These include The Hottentot Venus and Armed Response, among others. He was invited by President Havel to stage theatre at Forum 2001 in Prague. In 2003, he created a three storey high art installation, and daily and nightly performances for the Prague Quadrennial.

He has directed and designed many plays, including works by Shakespeare, Aristophanes, Beckett, Buchner, Heiner Muller, Fassbinder, Sam Shepard, Athol Fugard, Pinter, Moliere. He has won numerous awards including the George Soros Fellowship, Goethe Inst Fellowship, and South African National Arts Council Fellowship. He is currently compiling a book on new South African plays, including his latest play. His most recent work will be staged in Germany and the UK early next year.