Researching David Edgar

Edgar has enjoyed a long-term association with the Royal Shakespeare Company since 1976, beginning with his play Destiny; he was the company's literary consultant from 1984 to 1988, and became an honorary associate artist of the company in 1989. His plays have been directed by former artistic directors of both of the largest British subsidised companies, Trevor Nunn for the RSC and Peter Hall for the National Theatre.

His works have been performed in Ireland, throughout western and eastern Europe, the U.S., and as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Japan. He is also the author of The Second Time as Farce: Reflections on the Drama of Mean Times (1988) and editor of The State of Play (2000), a book by playwrights on the art of writing plays. He had his first operatic libretto, The Bridge, performed as part of the Covent Garden Festival in 1998. He is a former president of the Writers Guild of Great Britain, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

He founded the University of Birmingham's MA in Playwriting Studies programme in 1989 and was its director until 1999. He was appointed Professor of Playwriting Studies in 1995.

Edgar attended the University of Tennessee, where he swam for the Tennessee Volunteers swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Southeastern Conference competition. He won seven NCAA championships while swimming for the Volunteers, and was named the "Fastest Man Afloat" by Sports Illustrated magazine.

Edgar represented the United States at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, where he received a gold medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. He received another gold medal in 4×100-meter freestyle relay at the 1971 Pan American Games in Cali, Colombia. He set two world records during his career, both in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.

Edgar was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an "Honor Swimmer" in 1996.