The Royal Court Theatre in London has revealed its new season for 2024, under the new leadership of David Byrne.
Starting from May 2024, nine new plays will be performed at the Royal Court, all from writers making their Royal Court debuts.
The new season is led by the Royal Court’s new Artistic Director David Byrne, who was announced in July 2023 and comes to the Court after being artistic director of the New Diorama Theatre in London. Byrne has taken over from Vicky Featherstone, who led the Royal Court for 10 years.
Highlights of the new 2024 Royal Court season include:
Emma D’Arcy, Kayla Meikle and Ben Whishaw starring in a new adaptation of Maggie Nelson’s Bluets (17 May – 29 June 2024) by Margaret Perry and directed by Katie Mitchell.
Nassim Soleimanpour and Omar Elerian’s ECHO – Every Cold Hearted Oxygen (13 July – 27 July 2024) – a surprising exploration of what it feels like to be an immigrant in time, with a different performer taking to the stage every night, performing a script they’ve never seen before.
John Lithgow stars as Roald Dahl, with Elliot Levey as Tom Maschler, in Mark Rosenblatt’s debut play Giant (20 September – 16 November 2024), directed by Nicholas Hytner.
Sabrina Ali’s award-winning play Dugsi Dayz (1 May – 18 May 2024), from Side eYe, directed by Poppy Clifford, premieres at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs. The play is a comedy set among four young British-Somali girls stuck in detention at Mosque, inspired by cult film The Breakfast Club.
Dublin Fringe hit, Ciara Elizabeth Smyth’s award-winning Lie Low (22 May – 8 June 2024), directed by Oisin Kearney, is coming to the Court. The play follows a woman in the wake of a home invasion seeking to find closure through repeatedly re-enacting the crime with her brother.
Tensions rise during a medieval football game in Stewart Pringle’s The Bounds (13 June – 13 July 2024), a darkly comic play set in 1555, exploring national divides, rural identity and the extremes of village sports, directed by Jack McNamara.
The friendships of three Black boys begin to unravel when urban legend and police surveillance collide in Tife Kusoro’s G (22 August – 21 September 2024).
Oli Forsyth’s Brace Brace (3 October – 9 November 2024) promises to be a gripping examination of healing and survival in the aftermath of a plane hijacking, directed by Daniel Raggett.
Emteaz Hussain’s Expendable (21 November – 21 December 2024) gives a voice to the often-overlooked experiences of British Pakistani women, exploring the serious shortcomings of our national institutions as a community is rocked by scandal.
Also today, 4 March 2024, the Royal Court hosted a The Writer’s L(a)unch event at their Jerwood Theatre Downstairs, where the writing community was invited to hear David Byrne about his first season of work, future writer’s programmes and plans for the year ahead.
David Byrne, Artistic Director of the Royal Court, said in a statement: “There are 10 Royal Court debuts this season. It’s my first programme as Artistic Director, and it’s the Royal Court debut for each of the nine exceptional writers. More than just a season, this is a statement of intent for what’s to come: a new generation of bold voices with big, messy stories to tell; world-renowned artists rubbing alongside insurgent new talent, igniting some unmissable theatre on our stages. This is an invitation to audiences, artists and fellow playwrights everywhere: across my time at the Royal Court, we’ll be treading the path of maximum adventure. Times may be difficult but we’re up for the challenge, and the mission of the Court – to champion brave writers that push us forward – has never been more vital. Come join us, I want to take everybody along for the ride.”
Current Royal Court shows running in the West End include For Black Boys Who Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy, now playing at the Garrick Theatre in London, until 4 May 2024. The show originally started under Byrne at the New Diorama Theatre.
The New Diorama’s production of Operation Mincemeat has also proved a huge hit, and continues to play to packed houses at the West End’s Fortune Theatre.
More about tickets to GIANT at the Royal Court Theatre
More about tickets to BLUETS at the Royal Court Theatre
More about tickets to ECHO – Every Cold Hearted Oxygen at the Royal Court Theatre
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