Although now known for his gargantuan yet compelling play crafted for the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from Charles Dickens's Nicholas Nickleby, David Edgar as playwright and political activist grew up with the New Left political theater of the 1970s. Son of a Midlands television producer, Barrie Edgar, and his wife, Joan Burman Edgar, a former radio announcer and actress, David Edgar was born in Birmingham and attended Oundle public school (1961-1965). In 1966 he taught for a term at a preparatory school and then entered Manchester University, where he received an honors B.A. in 1969. Several years as a political journalist in Bradford on the Telegraph and Argus , followed, during which he wrote short plays in his spare time. Several were produced at the University of Bradford during 1970-1971 and others in 1971 in Edinburgh, one of which was mounted at the Edinburgh Festival. The visibility earned him appointments as Yorkshire...