# David Eldridge (dramatist)

David Eldridge (born 20 September 1973) is a British dramatist and screenwriter, born in Romford, Greater London, United Kingdom. His plays have been produced in the West End and on Broadway. He has written for stage, screen and radio.

## Career

His plays have been performed at major new writing institutions in the UK, including The Royal Court Theatre, the Bush Theatre, the Finborough Theatre and the National Theatre. His stage adaptation of the film Festen transferred from the Almeida Theatre to the West End and Broadway. His play Market Boy, informed by his childhood working on a stall at Romford Market, played at the National Theatre's largest space, the Olivier in June 2006. In July 2008 his play Under the Blue Sky was revived at the Duke of York's Theatre starring Chris O'Dowd, Catherine Tate and Francesca Annis.
In March 2011 his play The Knot of the Heart played at the Almeida Theatre and starred Lisa Dillon, for whom the role of Lucy was written and in February 2012 his play In Basildon, played at the Royal Court Theatre directed by Dominic Cooke starring Linda Bassett and Ruth Sheen. Both plays opened to critical acclaim. The Knot of the Heart won the Off-West End Theatre Award for Best New Play and In Basildon was voted The Guardian Theatre Critics and Arts Writers No.1 Theatre of 2012. In April 2012 the Royal Exchange Theatre presented his new version of Miss Julie by August Strindberg, starring Maxine Peake. In July 2014 his play Holy Warriors played at Shakespeare's Globe.
David's screenplay for a ninety-minute single film, The Scandalous Lady W, based upon Hallie Rubenhold's book Lady Worsley's Whim, was broadcast on BBC2 in August 2015 starring Natalie Dormer and directed by Sheree Folkson.
In October 2017 The National Theatre presented the world premiere of his play Beginning in the Dorfman Theatre directed by Polly Findlay. Beginning transferred from The National Theatre to the Ambassadors Theatre in the West End, opening in January 2018 with both Sam Troughton and Justine Mitchell reprising their original roles. Beginning was revived for a tour starting at the Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch, in 2021. It became the first in his trilogy of plays about love and relationships for the National Theatre to be premièred in its Dorfman Theatre. The second, Middle, had its first performances rescheduled to start in April 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Eldridge is currently lecturer in Creative Writing at Birkbeck, University of London. He also teaches screenwriting for the Arvon Foundation.

## Adaptations/Versions

* Festen - adaptation of the Dogme film (Almeida Theatre/Lyric Theatre, 2004 / Music Box Theatre, New York, 2006)
* Our Hidden Lives - television adaptation of a book by Simon Garfield (BBC Television, 2005)
* The Wild Duck - new version of a play by Henrik Ibsen (Donmar Warehouse, 2006)
* John Gabriel Borkman - new version of a play by Henrik Ibsen (Donmar Warehouse, 2007)
* Babylone adaptation of the play Rue de Babylone by Jean-Marie Besset (Belgrade Theatre Coventry, 2009)
* The Lady from the Sea - new version of a play by Henrik Ibsen (Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, 2010)
* Miss Julie - new version of a play by August Strindberg (Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, 2012)
* The Scandalous Lady W - screenplay based upon Hallie Rubenhold's book Lady Worsley's Whim (BBC2, 2015)
* The Spy Who Came in from the Cold - adaptation of the novel by John le Carré @ Minerva Theatre