Professor David Peimer
Dracula: A Satirical Tale of Archetypes of the Self and Other in the West
Summary
In this presentation we will examine Dracula as a dark satirical tale of archetypes: a mirror to see our nature and that of the other. Why did Bram Stoker choose vampires (of all creatures!) and Transylvania in Eastern Europe? And can the story be considered kitsch today or not? Lastly, we will compare Dracula and Frankenstein to give us symbolic insights into our current era.
Professor David Peimer
David Peimer is a Professor of Literature, Film and Theatre in the UK. He has worked for the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 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 in New York, UK, Berlin, EU Parliament (Brussels), Athens, Budapest, Zululand and more. He has most recently directed Dame Janet Suzman in his own play, Joanna’s Story, at London Jewish Book Week. He has published widely with books including: Armed Response: Plays from South Africa, the digital book, Theatre in the Camps. He is on the board of the Pinter Centre (London), and has been involved with the Mandela Foundation, Vaclav Havel Foundation and directed a range of plays at Mr Havel’s Prague theatre.