Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) has been described as 'the father of modern theatre'. Most of his early plays were traditional historical dramas. After 'Peer Gynt', a fairy-tale fantasy in verse, Ibsen wrote the rest of his plays in prose, and came to be regarded as the great Naturalist dramatist. David Rudkin's first play, Afore Night Comes, staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company in their 1962 experimental season, informed the Company's revolutionizing approach to the performance of Shakespeare. David writes for television, radio, and theatre.