Author Profile
Biography
JOHN VAN DRUTEN (1901-1957) was one of the most successful West
End and Broadway playwrights of the 1930s and 1940s. He was known for his witty
and urbane observations of contemporary life and society. His first play
Young
Woodley was originally banned in London by the Lord Chamberlain, but went on to
have successful runs in the
West End and on Broadway. It was
revived at the Finborough Theatre in 2006. He later emigrated to America where
his plays included
The Voice of the Turtle (1943) which ran for three seasons
in New York and was filmed with Ronald Reagan. He remains best known for his
1951 play
I Am a Camera, based on Christopher Isherwood’s short stories, which
formed the basis of the musical
Cabaret.