David Cregan

David Cregan was born in Buxton, 1931 and enjoyed a playwriting career spanning over forty years. After National Service with the RAF between 1950 and 1952, Cregan studied for a Bachelor Degree in English at Clare College, Cambridge, before working as an Assistant English Teacher in Palm Beach Florida and later as an Assistant Teacher of English and Drama at Hatfield Secondary School, UK.

Cregan's first novel Ronald Rossiter was published in 1959. Six years later, Cregan began his theatrical career at the Royal Court Theatre, London with Miniatures (1965), which was followed by The Dancers (1966), Transcending (1966), Three Men for Colverton (1966), The Houses by the Green (1968) and A Comedy of the Changing Years (1969).

Between 1972 and 2005, Cregan wrote eight plays for The Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond and from 1982 to 1992 he collaborated with composer Brian Protheroe on a total of six pantomimes for the Theatre Royal, Stratford East, of which Cinderella (1989) was nominated for the Whitbread Prize's Best Fringe Play for Children. Cregan's work has also been produced at the Midland Arts Theatre; Crucible Theatre, Sheffield; Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough; and Southwark Playhouse.

In addition to his theatrical works, he wrote over fifteen plays for BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service and over ten plays and television series for Granada, ATV, BBC 2 and Channel 4.

Cregan was awarded the Charles Henry Foyle New Play Award in 1966, Sony Award for Best Radio Script in 1987 and the Giles Cooper Radio Award in 1991.

From the guide to the David Cregan Archive, 1949-2014, (V&A Theatre and Performance)