Campton, David

David Campton (1924-2006) was a prolific British dramatist inspired by the Theatre of the Absurd. Campton authored works for adult, youth and children's theatre as well as radio and television productions. In addition to one-act plays and sketches, Campton penned full length plays, literary adaptations, and the text, Becoming a Playwright. Born in Leicester, England to parents David and Emily Campton on June 5, 1929, Campton first received recognition as a playwright in 1950 when his play Going Home was performed by an amateur theatre company. In 1955, Campton met producer Stephen Joseph who would go on to produce Dragons are Dangerous, considered Campton's break-through work. One of the first British playwrights to embrace the style known as the Theatre of the Absurd, Campton received numerous honors throughout his career, including the British Arts Council Bursary for Playwriting in 1957 and the British Theatre Association Meyer-Whitworth Prize for Everybody's Friend (1975), After Midnight, Before Dawn (1978), and Mrs. Meadowsweet (1985).