David Whitaker

After years in repertory theatre (1951–57), actor David Arthur Whitaker sold a TV play to the BBC and subsequently joined the Script Unit as a staff writer. As well as writing credits on hundreds of TV programmes, he was variously script editor of light entertainment, script editor of the Sunday-night Play and first story editor of Doctor Who. In the latter capacity, he commissioned the first Dalek serial and wrote more episodes of Doctor Who in the 1960s than anyone else, as well as working on the first Doctor Who related comic strips, annuals, novelisations and stage play. He worked in movies, wrote scripts for ITV, was chair of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain 1966–68 and in 1971 moved to Australia where he ran a Playwrights’ Studio for NIDA and worked in film development, as well as writing for stage and TV. He returned to the UK in 1977.

Plays authored

Past productions

Director / New Book for Production, Nuclear II, Nuclear Productions Pty Limited 28^th April – 20^th June 1973, Metro Theatre, Kings Cross, Sydney.
Gala Night at the Royal 28^th May 1967, Theatre Royal, York.
Co-producer, A Hand in Marriage, Unicorn Players 26^th – 31^st August 1957, Palace Avenue Theatre (now Palace Theatre), Paignton.
The Unguarded Hour 22^nd – 27^th July 1957, Theatre Royal, York.
Plaintiff in a Pretty Hat 15^th – 20^th July 1957, Theatre Royal, York.
Major Barbara 8^th – 13^th July 1957, Theatre Royal, York.
Sir Oliver Surface, The School for Scandal 1^st – 6^th July 1957, Theatre Royal, York.
Interference 27^th May – 1^st June 1957, Theatre Royal, York.
Jeannie 20^th – 25^th May 1957, Theatre Royal, York.
The Touch of Fear 13^th – 18^th May 1957, Theatre Royal, York.
South Sea Bubble 6^th – 11^th May 1957, Theatre Royal, York.
John Rhodes, Ring for Catty, Colchester Repertory Company 8^th – 13^th April 1957, Colchester Repertory Theatre.
The Count of Albafiorita, Mine Hostess, Colchester Repertory Company 1^st – 6^th April 1957, Colchester Repertory Theatre.
Poynter, Lovers’ Leap, Colchester Repertory Company 25^th – 30^th March 1957, Colchester Repertory Theatre.
Councillor Albert Parker, When We Are Married, Colchester Repertory Company 11^th – 16^th March 1957, Colchester Repertory Theatre.
James Payton, Laird of Hettinfoot, Marigold, Colchester Repertory Company 25^th February – 2^nd March 1957, Colchester Repertory Theatre.
Policeman, The Knife-Edge, Colchester Repertory Company 18^th – 23^rd February 1957, Colchester Repertory Theatre.
Dallas, Night of the Fourth, Worthing Theatre Company 12^th – 17^th November 1956, Connaught Theatre, Worthing.
Gregory Scott, Champagne for Breakfast, Jesmond Playhouse 11^th – 16^th June 1956, Playhouse, Jesmond.
Breach of Marriage started 11^th February 1956, Coliseum Theatre, Harrow.
Wishee Washee, Aladdin started 26^th December 1955, The Playhouse, Kidderminster.
Geoffrey Carroll, The Two Mrs. Carrolls, Unicorn Players 19^th – 24^th September 1955, Palace Avenue Theatre (now Palace Theatre), Paignton.
Mr Halliday, Book of the Month, Unicorn Players 12^th – 17^th September 1955, Palace Avenue Theatre (now Palace Theatre), Paignton.
David Brent, MD, Dr Brent’s Household, Unicorn Players 5^th – 10^th September 1955, Palace Avenue Theatre (now Palace Theatre), Paignton.
The Uninvited Guest, by Mary Hayley Bell, Unicorn Players 29^th August – 3^rd September 1955, Palace Avenue Theatre (now Palace Theatre), Paignton.
Breach of Marriage, Unicorn Players 22^nd – 27^th August 1955, Palace Avenue Theatre (now Palace Theatre), Paignton.
James Fraser, The First Mrs Fraser, Unicorn Players 15^th – 20^th August 1955, Palace Avenue Theatre (now Palace Theatre), Paignton.
Merely Murder, Unicorn Players 7^th – 12^th August 1955, Palace Avenue Theatre (now Palace Theatre), Paignton.
Mr Pepper, Beside the Seaside, Unicorn Players 1^st – 6^th August 1955, Palace Avenue Theatre (now Palace Theatre), Paignton.
Christopher Martyn, The Secret Tent, Unicorn Players 25^th – 30^th July 1955, Palace Avenue Theatre (now Palace Theatre), Paignton.
Phillip Russell, Affairs of State, by Louis Verneuil, Unicorn Players 18^th – 23^rd July 1955, Palace Avenue Theatre (now Palace Theatre), Paignton.
Professor Richard Wilson, Loophole, Unicorn Players 11^th – 16^th July 1955, Palace Avenue Theatre (now Palace Theatre), Paignton.
Able-Seaman Lofty Turner, Seagulls Over Sorrento, Halifax Repertory Theatre started 11^th April 1955, Grand Theatre, Halifax.
Producer, Robert’s Wife 28^th March – 2^nd April 1955, New Theatre, Bangor.
/ Producer, Night Must Fall 28^th February – 5^th March 1955, New Theatre, Bangor.
Henry Mansell-Smith, The Happy Marriage, New Theatre Company 21^st – 26^th February 1955, New Theatre, Bangor.
Sir Clive Dawson, Down Came a Blackbird 14^th – 19^th February 1955, New Theatre, Bangor.
George and Margaret 31^st January – 5^th February 1955, New Theatre, Bangor.
Jack Manningham, Gaslight 24^th – 29^th January 1955, New Theatre, Bangor.
Dr Alec Bestwood, Birthday Honours 10^th – 15^th January 1955, New Theatre, Bangor.
Clive Winton, See How They Run 3^rd – 8^th January 1955, New Theatre, Bangor.
Crystal Clear, New Theatre Company 20^th – 24^th December 1954, New Theatre, Bangor.
Producer, The Holly and the Ivy 13^th – 18^th December 1954, New Theatre, Bangor.
Professor Higgins, Pygmalion, New Theatre Company 6^th – 11^th December 1954, New Theatre, Bangor.
Yank, The Hasty Heart 29^th November – 4^th December 1954, New Theatre, Bangor.
Mother of Men, New Theatre Company 22^nd – 27^th November 1954, New Theatre, Bangor.
Edward Winthrop, Lovely To Look At, New Theatre Company 15^th – 20^th November 1954, New Theatre, Bangor.
Someone Waiting, New Theatre Company 25^th – 30^th October 1954, New Theatre, Bangor.
Willie Higginbotham, My Wife’s Lodger 18^th – 23^rd October 1954, New Theatre, Bangor.
They Walk Alone, New Theatre Company 11^th – 16^th October 1954, New Theatre, Bangor.

Tools

Photographs

If you have a photograph of this person, please sign in to upload it, or add it to Flickr and tag it with .

Same name

Photo credits

Portrait of David Whitaker, c. 1964, Other public domain
David Whitaker and his wife June Barry, early 1965, Other public domain
David Whitaker in his garden in Perth, Australia c. 1974, Other public domain
Cover of David Whitaker in an Exciting Adventure with Television, a biography by Simon Guerrier, Other public domain