Professor David Peimer
French Revolutionary Leaders in Film and Theatre: Danton, Robespierre, Marat
Summary
In this presentation we will look at the portrayal of three of the major leaders of the French Revolution in theatre and film. Each historical figure has been depicted in ways which combine fact, myth, and dramatic genres. We will consider why they continue to resonate so powerfully today. We will also examine how the French Revolution remains a model for revolutions in our darkening times? Lastly, we will explore how leaders from over 200 years ago echo in the pressures and fault lines of societies in our era.
Professor David Peimer
David Peimer is a professor of theatre and performance studies in the UK. He has taught at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, and New York University (Global Division), and was a Fulbright Scholar at Columbia University. Born in South Africa, David has won numerous awards for playwriting and directing. He has written eleven plays and directed forty in places like South Africa, New York, Brussels, London, Berlin, Zulu Kingdom, Athens, and more. His writing has been published widely and he is the editor of Armed Response: Plays from South Africa (2009) and the interactive digital book Theatre in the Camps (2012). He is on the board of the Pinter Centre in London.