LIVE LUNCH AT ROYAL COURT THEATRE - NEW PLAYS, PERFORMED LIVE, IN YOUR LUNCHBREAK

A season of new plays by up-and-coming writers, written in summer 2014, will be performed live as lunchtime readings on Friday afternoons at 1.15pm in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court from 26 September to 31 October.

The six promising writers were all part of a summer writers’ group at the Royal Court,
who were challenged to write a completely new play, from scratch, in one summer,
which would be performed live in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs this autumn.

The writers Luke Barnes, Clara Brennan, Sarah Kosar, Nessah Muthy, May
Sumbwanyambe and Chris Thompson have worked together over the last five weeks in
a new collaborative format, sharing ideas, reviewing each other’s work and going to
museums and galleries for inspiration.

Associate Director of the Royal Court Theatre, Lucy Morrison said:
“I believe writers need an outlet to express something immediate, free from the time-lag that a full production can bring. These writers have courageously put any ideas they came with to one side to come up with something completely new. They have searched their souls and trusted their talents to write a play to be shared with a live audience in a matter of weeks.”
Bring along a sandwich and listen to a new play, performed live in your lunch break.

Friday 26 September, 1.15pm
The Girl Who Looks Up at the Stars
by Luke Barnes
A play about dreaming, grafting and making it big in a small town.
Luke Barnes’ credits include The Saints at the Nuffield Theatre, Weekend Rockstars at Hull Truck, Bottleneck at Soho Theatre and UK Tour with HighTide, Eisteddfod at HighTide Festival, Chapel Street at Edinburgh Underbelly and UK Tour, A Wondrous Place at Royal Exchange Manchester and UK Tour, Beats North at Roundabout Edinburgh with Northern Stage, TSU and Curious Monkey with a UK Tour, and Weekday Nights with NYT at The Unico

Friday 3 October, 1.15pm
Spaghetti Ocean
by Sarah Kosar
A play about coming home, gluttony, and a bathtub.
Sarah Kosar is an American playwright living in London. Sarah’s full length play Hot Dog was produced at The Last Refuge in 2013, and received its US premiere in Florida in May 2014.

Friday 10 October, 1.15pm
Cameron’s People
by May Sumbwanyambe
A play about politics, personal grief and the future of Scotland.
May Sumbwanyambe’s credits include The Road to Damascus, which was shortlisted for the Channel 4/Oran Mor Comedy Drama Award. In 2012 his play Back Home Contemplation was shortlisted for the Alfred Fagon Award.

Friday 17 October, 1.15pm
Burn
by Chris Thompson
A play about fluorescent lights and love.
Chris Thompson’s most recent play Albion will open at the Bush Theatre later this month. His debut play Carthage premiered at the Finborough Theatre earlier this year. As a winner of the Channel 4 Playwright’s Scheme he is currently Channel 4 Playwright in Residence at the Finborough Theatre. In his previous career, Chris was a social worker.

Friday 24 October, 1.15pm
Beastie
by Nessah Muthy
A play about escape, infamy and hyper-sexualisation.
Nessah Muthy’s recent credits at the Royal Court include Gastronauts (co-written) and Hungry, as part of the ‘Lost in Theatre’ strand of Open Court. Other theatre work includes: Sucker, commissioned by Old Vic New Voices, This is Not a Slog, a collaborative, mobile exhibition of three walk installations, commissioned by Carissa Hope Lynch and Ovalhouse, Pickaninny, longlisted for the Bruntwood Prize 2013, Nazma, produced by Kali Theatre for the ‘Twelve’ project, at Tristan Bates Theatre, and Freya and Mr Mushroom, which was commissioned by The Building Site Theatre Company and Southwark Playhouse as part of the ‘Hotel Confessions’ season. On screen, her credits include EastEnders: E20.

Friday 31 October, 1.15pm
Kid a Kidder
by Clara Brennan
A play about dirty money, arts patrons and career suicide.
Clara Brennan’s most recent credits include the play Spine (Winner Fringe First, Herald Angel), which premièred at Edinburgh this year and runs Soho Theatre this autumn. She has film and TV series in development. Her plays include Rain, Bud Take The Wheel, I Feel A Song Coming On, Hi Vis, The Wing and Spine. In 2012, she was awarded the OffWestEnd Adopt a Playwright Award for her new play The Vendor. Clara won the Channel 4 Playwright Award and is resident at the Soho Theatre for 2014. Her fourth play for the award-winning company Theatre Uncut opens there in November.

The newly refurbished Royal Court Bar & Kitchen will be serving lunch pre and post show, including 20% of the new menu for all Live Lunch bookers.

Tickets for all readings £8 available at www.royalcourttheatre.com 020 7565
5000

For more information, please contact Anna Evans on 020 7565 5063 Or email annaevans@royalcourttheatre.com

Coutts support Innovation at the Royal Court Theatre

Coutts is the UK private banking arm of the Royal Bank of Scotland. Coutts has a long history of supporting the arts going back 200 years, having looked after the financial affairs of many famous clients connected with the arts such as Bram Stoker, Charles Dickens and Chopin. In 1816, Thomas Coutts married Harriot Mellon, a popular actress of her day, and together they became partners of a number of London Theatres, including the Drury Lane and the Royal Opera House. Coutts has even featured in a number of artistic works including The Gondoliers by Gilbert and Sullivan, and Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic story Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. In the new millennium, this tradition has continued not only through managing the finances of many of today’s top writers, actors and musicians, but also through our arts sponsorship programme and we are delighted to support The Royal Court and its diverse range of ground-breaking performances.