Dear Freelance Artists

25 July, 2026

Today the Royal Court announced a reset in pay and terms for the freelancers who make work for our stages. We thought we’d take this moment as Artistic and Executive Directors - and as just David and Will - to write to you directly.

While there’s a finely-honed press release being issued and some headline graphics on our socials, we wanted to send a personal note with more detail – for anyone who wanted to read it and get the thinking behind the broader headlines. Especially for all those freelancers who have engaged in conversation with us on these topics across the last year.

1. What’s happening?

In short: from 2027, we’re making a once-in-a-generation series of pay rises and long-term commitments for our freelance artists.

In both the Royal Court’s theatres, freelance creatives will see a significant bump in pay. Between March 2025 and April 2027, we’re doubling Director and joint Set & Costume Designer fees in our Jerwood Theatre Downstairs and increasing them by 50% in our Jerwood Theatre Upstairs.

All other core creatives on full productions will receive increases of at least 25-50% on the same schedule. (For example, Lighting, Costume and Sound Designers working in our Theatre Downstairs will all receive a 50% increase.)

At the same time, commissions for playwrights premiering in the Upstairs will increase, for the first time matching those for our Downstairs Theatre.

And our new Royal Court Freelance Charter will improve terms for all freelancers, bringing benefits better in line with salaried staff, alongside a host of new thinking and commitments – supporting everyone from creatives and technicians to actors and stage managers.

You can read the full announcement here.

2. A Renewed Invitation for Artists.

We all need a Royal Court where everyone can make their best work, optimistic about new writing and the future. That includes continuing to back risk-taking, ambitious and experimental work, and keeping the pipelines open for new voices on our stages.

But let’s be honest, when we talk about freelance artists making their best work and feeling optimistic about the future – a lot of that in the current climate comes down to money, and it’s our job to give something for people to feel optimistic about.

The Royal Court has always paid industry-typical rates, especially given the size of our theatres (less than 400 and less than 100 seats respectively). In many cases, working with us has been one of the better paid gigs freelancers can get working in London theatre.

But the world has changed around us. The cost of living in the city has moved faster than rates of pay – and regardless of how many seats we have, our role as a national institution in championing new work means we have an outsized responsibility. That’s especially true for directors and lead designers, whose fees have fallen behind in relation to writers, stage managers, actors and technicians – who’ve generally seen healthier annual increases negotiated by the Writers’ Guild, Equity and BECTU.

Even at industry-typical rates, we know that Directors and joint Set & Costume Designers often don’t earn enough to focus a career solely on making theatre – even for established artists with a worldwide reputation. It’s even worse for generations of artists coming up, for many of whom low pay makes a career in theatre feel completely impossible.

And while we’re prioritising Directors and Set & Costume Designers, we know that these challenges apply to all creatives – which is why everyone is getting a bump of at least 25%, and in most cases much more, across both our theatres.

For playwrights, there’s also good news today. Previously – and totally reasonably – the deal has been that we commission plays without being linked to a particular space. Then, if we decide to produce in the Theatre Upstairs, the final payment to the playwright is different and lesser – not to mention that the higher capacity Downstairs means that the royalties Upstairs will always be less regardless. Today’s shift changes that final payment to be equal for everyone, regardless of where a play premieres. In a climate where money is tight the last thing writers need is a surprise in their final payment at what should be a celebratory moment.

So that’s the plan. A big, one-off shift in all these rates from next year, and proper annual uplifts for freelancers keeping pace with our staff and other union agreements thereafter. And beyond just pay, our new Freelance Charter will ensure better support at every step, from communication and contracting, to knowing there’s wellbeing and access support when you need it, being confident you can report an issue and something will be done about it – and more. We’ve even included a way you can report issues directly to our board if your issue or challenge is with leadership (ie. the two of us).

We’ve been here two years now. Consider this a statement of intent and a renewed invitation: whether you’re a major artist wanting to take big swings, or a debut creative looking for signs that a sustainable career in theatre is possible, the Royal Court will back you. Not just artistically, but practically and financially too.

3. Surely, it’s more complicated? How can you afford to do this?

The truth is that this will be very difficult. It’s going to be challenging for us, and our budgets.

It will require us to raise and earn more money, without comprising our core principles – for example, protecting our affordable ticket prices.

But we couldn’t go on as we were. We needed to make the change, and everyone needed for us to make it.  No organisation ever feels they’re in the position to make a big leap. Sometimes you’ve just got to take the jump and work it out mid-air.

And there will be a lot to work out. Every show is different: there are huge collaborative projects that sit outside the box, requiring multiple co-designers and co-directors that we’ll need to figure out; short runs and visiting work that don’t involve a full creation process; touring and co-produced shows where the rates need to reflect those partnerships – and so on and so on. In moments of change you have to balance potential complexity with the risk of it overwhelming you from acting in the first place.

We’ll look at each instance to a path that is equitable, flexible to the creative endeavour at hand and in line with the new benchmarks and principles we’ve outlined today. Ensuring parity in increased rates – even in new, non-traditional set ups or circumstances we’ve not yet imagined.

And naturally there are roles that are less affected by the announcements today. The truth is that everyone deserves a rise, and this is us doing what we can with particularly finite resources. This is the step we can take right now, and through our ongoing collective agreements with Equity, BECTU and the Writers’ Guild other rates will continue to rise year-on-year.

4. Thank You For Reading.

If you’ve read this far, well done. And thank you.

For anyone who knows either of us you’ll know that we obsess over these things. We’re two years into a ten-year mission to transform the culture of new writing and new work in this country. This is just one step towards that goal, with more to follow (and perhaps a few missteps along the way).

More than anything it’s part of a big invitation to artists to come and be a part of that mission, to make work towards the future of new writing and contemporary theatre. It’s our hope that, if this is achievable even in difficult times, then at the Royal Court surely anything will feel possible.

Yours,

David Byrne, Artistic Director & Will Young, Executive Director
Royal Court Theatre, London.