Royal Court Theatre announces next instalments in the International department's 'New Plays:' series

Following the sold-out mini season New Plays: Japan, which ran in the Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Upstairs in January 2023, the Royal Court presents six new plays by writers from five different countries: Barbados, Jamaica, Mexico, Brazil and the Philippines. In keeping with the series thus far, these will be staged readings which run in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs from Wednesday 10 – Thursday 25 January 2024, with a different play running each Wednesday and Thursday evening across the three weeks.

The three-week season will mark the culmination of multiple strands of work from the Royal Court’s International Department, which happens year round at the Theatre. 

The six performances come from artists making work in a rich variety of different traditions and languages. Many of them began life on writers groups and projects run by the Court in collaboration with partners from around the world.

The series will be accompanied by a series of talks and discussions that explore the political, social and cultural conversations surrounding the plays.

The series will include Scam-Uh-Life by Jherad Alleyne, Cabin Fever by Michaela Spencer, Field Studies (Estudios en Campo) by Sara Pinedo, A Migrant Ball of Thread (Ovillo) by Sonia Gregorio, Black Horses Are Massive (Cavalos Pretos São Imensos) by Bárbara Esmenia Rãé and Borderlands: As Above, So Below by Rogelio Braga.

The International Programme at the Royal Court builds and develops the theatre’s relationships with writers and artists from around the world. Forming long-term partnerships with theatre makers and organisations from different traditions and working in different languages and cultural contexts. The programme runs long term writers’ groups, residencies, exchange projects and produces work by international artists as well as supporting the practice of theatre in translation, with projects and opportunities aimed at emerging translators. Other recent partnerships include writers groups run with arts partners in Chile, Iraq, Japan, Palestine and Peru.

See here for the full press release.