Samuel French Bookshop Opening at the Royal Court

Monica Dolan, Douglas Schatz, Simon Stephens, Vicky Featherstone & Christopher Hampton

Credit: Bronwen Sharp 

The official opening of the Samuel French Bookshop took place at the Royal Court Theatre Friday 16 March 2018.

Samuel French closed its much-loved bookshop in Fitzroy Street, London in April 2017. As previously announced, the bookshop has now moved into the Royal Court Theatre’s Balcony Bar.

Customers are able to browse and read play texts in the bookshop, as well as enjoy a coffee and meet playwrights at author events. The shop will be open Monday through Saturday from 11am-5:30pm. On nights when Royal Court performances are taking place, a smaller bookstall will be open on the lower ground floor from 6pm to curtain.

The new Bookshop has been designed by Haworth Tompkins, who oversaw the redevelopment of the theatre in 2000, and Citizens Design Bureau, who worked on the refurbishment of the theatre’s Bar and Kitchen three years ago.

Douglas Schatz, Managing Director of Samuel French in the UK, said:

“When we closed our shop in Fitzroy Street last April we were overwhelmed by an outpouring of support and sadness from former customers, many of whom told similar stories about the first time that they visited the shop as young drama students, actors, playwrights, directors or producers.

Bookshops are places where you can carve out some precious, very personal time in your life, to pursue your passions or profession, to discover new directions or dreams, and to interact with others who share the interests that are important to you.

It has been a complete joy working with the team here to make the vision a reality. This is an important partnership for the Writers’ Theatre and the Theatre Bookshop.”

Lucy Davies, Executive Producer at the Royal Court Theatre adds;

“This is an exciting and significant new partnership which allows us to re-imagine and share the loveliest public space in our building – our Balcony Bar – giving audiences, readers and writers a very special new resource. We are delighted that Samuel French’s legendary bookshop can move into a new era with us here in Sloane Square.”

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