South Bank Show and Critics' Circle Wins at Royal Court

The Royal Court Theatre received more accolades today, winning the Theatre Award at this year’s South Bank Show Awards and receiving three awards in the industry’s Critics’ Circle Awards.

Bruce Norris’ Clybourne Park received the Theatre Award at the South Bank Show Awards held at the Dorchester Hotel. It was also awarded Best Play at the Critics’ Circle Awards. Directed by Dominic Cooke Artistic Director of the Royal Court, Clybourne Park played to critical acclaim and packed houses in September this year, breaking box office records at the Royal Court. It transfers to the Wyndhams Theatre in the West End for a limited run on 28 January 2011 (press night 8 February).

Anya Reiss received the Critics’ Circle award for Most Promising Playwright. Spur of the Moment , which looked at the distance between close family relations and a young girl on the brink of adolescence, sold out its entire run at the Royal Court in the Jerwood theatre Upstairs in July . A graduate of the Royal Court’s Young Writer’s programme, Anya was just 17 when she wrote the play and 18 when it was first performed at the Royal Court. Anya also won the Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright at the Evening Standard Awards in November last year.

Daniel Kaluuya, who played Leon in Roy Williams’ Sucker Punch in June last year won the Critics’ Circle award for Most Promising Newcomer. Sucker Punch saw the Royal Court Theatre transformed into a boxing ring, complete with ringside seating – Daniel also transformed himself into a boxer for the part, shedding over three stone in weight and training with a professional boxer for over six months before rehearsals started.