Jerwood New Playwrights Celebrates Anniversary

THE ROYAL COURT THEATRE HOSTS A SPECIAL CELEBRATION TO MARK THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF JERWOOD NEW PLAYWRIGHTS

Some of the UK’s most eminent writers and theatre-makers gathered at the Royal Court Theatre yesterday to celebrate 20 years of Jerwood New Playwrights. The programme, which gives new writers the opportunity to produce plays in full productions on both Royal Court stages, has led to the discovery of some of theatre’s most influential voices.

Guests including Alexi Kaye Campbell, Anders Lustgarten, April de Angelis, Carrie Cracknell, David Eldridge, DC Moore, Laura Wade, Nick Payne, Penelope Skinner, Rachel De-lahay, Roy Williams and Tanika Gupta enjoyed pre-show drinks and canapés in the Balcony Bar, with speeches by Royal Court Artistic Director Vicky Featherstone and Tim Eyles, Chair of the Jerwood Charitable Foundation’s Board of Trustees. They then watched a performance of The Wolf From The Door by Rory Mullarkey in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs. The event concluded with a party in the newly renovated downstairs bar and kitchen.

Images from the event can be downloaded here

The Jerwood New Playwrights programme, funded by Jerwood Charitable Foundation, helps the Royal Court discover and support the next generation of world class playwrights. Starting with Joe Penhall’s play Some Voices in 1994, the programme has supported 60 writers and 77 plays in this time, producing a series of new plays each year by emerging writers, all of whom were in the first 10 years of their careers.

The Royal Court identifies playwrights with potential whose careers would benefit from the challenge and profile of being fully produced on stage. Previous Jerwood New Playwrights have included Sarah Kane (Blasted), Michael Wynne (The Knocky), Mark Ravenhill (Shopping and Fucking), Jez Butterworth (Mojo), Ayub Khan Din (East is East), Martin McDonagh (The Beauty Queen of Leenane), Conor McPherson (The Weir), Roy Williams (Clubland), Richard Bean (Toast), Simon Stephens (Herons), Rona Munro (Iron), Polly Stenham (That Face), Bola Agbaje (Gone Too Far!), Alexi Kaye Campbell (The Pride), Anya Reiss (Spur of the Moment), Nick Payne (Constellations) and many others.