Royal Court Theatre announces new work from September - December 2023

Productions in chronological order of opening:

Imposter 22 by Molly Davies, co-created with Kirsty Adams, Cian Binchy, Housni Hassan (DJ), Dayo Koleosho, Stephanie Newman, Lee Phillips and Charlene Salter, from an original idea by Hamish Pirie – an Access All Areas and Royal Court Theatre co-production
Blue Mist by Mohamed-Zain Dada
Mates in Chelsea by Rory Mullarkey

Also announced:

Plays from ur notes app, a nationwide call out for ideas for plays stashed on your phone, with a chance to develop them.
The Playwrights Pathways – six new pieces of work-in-progress across two sharings in the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs in partnership with Clean Break.
Deen & Dunya – two evenings of Azan Ahmed and Khameleon Productions’ sell-out poetry nights celebrating Muslim voices will run alongside Rabiah Hussain’s new play Word-Play.

Vicky Featherstone, Artistic Director of the Royal Court Theatre, said: “The writers in our new programme are unified in their desire to take aim at preconceptions, stereotypes, and centres of power. Their words dismantle our understanding of the world, inviting new meanings and a stronger empathy for the communities we live in and among. In the same breath, the work is playful, dynamic, and highly imaginative. 

In these times we are doing everything we can to keep our work accessible, affordable and vital. Over the next six months, we are responding to audience feedback and trialing a new ticketing initiative. Our tickets that are £25 and below sell very quickly but once they are gone, we know that many of the people who buy those tickets can then not afford to see the work, and it’s essential that we continue to welcome everyone who wants to come to the theatre into the space and reduce the barrier that price presents. The hope is that the initiative will allow more people to see more performances at more affordable prices.

It’s a privilege to present my final programme of work as Artistic Director of this extraordinary theatre. Very soon a new visionary will be in place and I’m sure, under their guardianship, the Court will continue to inspire, invigorate and provoke writers, theatre-makers and audiences alike.” 

Productions:

A Royal Court Theatre and Access All Areas co-production
Imposter 22
Directed by Hamish Pirie
Saturday 23 September – Saturday 14 October 2023, 7.30pm
Jerwood Theatre Downstairs
Press night: Friday 29 September 2023, 7pm
Post-show talk: Tuesday 3 October 2023

Blue Mist
Written by Mohamed-Zain Dada (he/him)
Directed by Milli Bhatia (she/her)
Thursday 5 October – Saturday 18 November 2023, 3pm & 7.45pm
Jerwood Theatre Upstairs
Press night: Wednesday 11 October 2023, 7pm
Post-show talk Tuesday 17 October 2023

Mates in Chelsea
Written by Rory Mullarkey (he/him)
Directed by Sam Pritchard (he/him)
Friday 3 November – Saturday 16 December 2023, 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Jerwood Theatre Upstairs
Press night: Thursday 9 November 2023, 7pm
Post-show talk: Tuesday 14 November 2023

Deen & Dunya
Friday 4 August 2023, Friday 25 August 2023, 9:30pm
Jerwood Theatre Upstairs

Clean Break at the Royal Court – The Playwrights Pathways
Monday 4 September, 7pm – Tuesday 5 September 2023, 3pm
Jerwood Theatre Downstairs

Plays from ur notes app
Applications will open in September

The Royal Court has also announced a new commitment to more lower ticket prices in an attempt to make theatre-going more affordable. Acknowledging the impact that the cost of living crisis is having on audiences and that many people are being priced out of going to the theatre, the Royal Court is set to trial new pricing making 50% of all tickets for its larger house, Jerwood Theatre Downstairs, £25 or less for the next six months. The significant change in pricing will offer more tickets at more affordable prices in the hope that more people will be able to access the work that they present there. For the programme from July 2023 to February 2024, 50% of tickets for shows in the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs – more that 34,000 tickets in total – will be available for £25 or less. £25 will continue to be the top price in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs. The Royal Court will continue to run its Encounters programme – offering a range of discounted and free tickets to schools, young people and community groups – alongside the change in pricing.  

Tickets for all newly announced productions go on sale to supporters from 11.00am on Monday 26 June 2023, to Friends at 12.00pm on Wednesday 28 June 2023, and to the general public at 12.00pm on Friday 30 June 2023.

For the full press release, see here.

For the season webpage, see here.