David Pinner
David John Pinner was a British actor and novelist. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and has appeared on stage and television in many roles.
As an actor, he was known for Emergency Ward 10, Z Cars, The Growing Pains of PC Penrose,, Henry V, The Prince Regent and Agatha Christie's Miss Marple: A Murder Is Announced.
His 1967 novel Ritual was a major inspiration for Anthony Shaffer's film The Wicker Man. In 2014 he published The Wicca Woman, a sequel to Ritual.
Pinner died from pancreatic cancer on 22 December 2025, at the age of 85.
Novels
Ritual Hutchinson/ArrowWith My Body Weidenfeld & Nicolson/CorgiThere'll Always Be An England Anthony BlondRitual FinderskeepersRitual ebook Endeavour PressThe Wicca Woman ebook Endeavour Press
Dickon Queens's Theatre, HornchurchFanghorn Traverse Theatre, EdinburghFanghorn Fortune Theatre, London with Glenda JacksonThe Drums of Snow Stanford Repertory Theatre, CaliforniaLightning At A Funeral Stanford Repertory TheatreMarriages L.A.M.DA, LondonCartoon Soho Poly, LondonHereward the Wake Key Theatre, PeterboroughRichelieu BBC Lucifer's Fair Arts Theatre, LondonShakebag Soho Poly, LondonTalleyrand, Prince of Traitors BBCAn Evening With The G.L.C Soho Poly, LondonThe Potsdam Quartet Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith + BBCScrewball Theatre Royal, PlymouthThe Potsdam Quartet Lion Theatre, New YorkRevelations Grinnell, Iowa, USAThe Teddy Bears' Picnic Gateway Theatre, ChesterSkin Deep Gateway Theatre, ChesterThe Last Englishman Orange Tree Theatre, RichmondThe Sins of the Mother Grace Theatre, LondonLenin in Love New End Theatre, Hampstead, LondonAll Hallows' Eve Hong Kong Academy of Performing ArtsMidsummer Brehmer Theatre, Hamilton, New YorkOh, To Be In England Finborough Theatre, LondonThe Potsdam Quartet Jermyn Street Theatre, LondonEdred, the Vampyre The Old Red Lion, London
Stage plays published
Fanghorn Penguin Modern Playwrights 2Dickon Penguin Plays, New English Dramatists 10Drums of Snow Penguin Plays, New English Dramatists 13Drums of Snow Plays of the Year, Paul Elek Books LtdThe Potsdam Quartet Terra Nova EditionsThe Potsdam Quartet Samuel FrenchLenin In Love Oberon BooksTwo Plays; The Teddy Bears' Picnic/The Potsdam Quartet Oberon Modern PlaywrightsMidsummer/All Hallows' Eve Oberon Modern PlaysNewton's Hooke Imperial College PressThe Stalin Trilogy; Lenin In Love/The Teddy Bears' Picnic/The Potsdam Quartet Oberon Modern PlaywrightsLady Day/Revelations Oberon Modern PlaysThree Power Plays; The Drums of Snow/Richelieu/Prince of Traitors Oberon Modern PlaywrightsOh, To Be In England Oberon Modern PlaywrightsThe Vampire Trilogy; Fanghorn/Edred, the Vampyre/Lucifer's Fair Oberon Modern PlaywrightsThe Joy of Misery; four one-act plays; Cartoon/An Evening With The G.L.C/Shakebag/Succubus Oberon Modern Playwrights