Sebastian Barry’s The Steward of Christendom and Mark Ravenhill’s Shopping and Fucking (with Out of Joint), Martin McDonagh’s The Beauty Queen Of Leenane (with Druid), Ayub Khan Din’s East is East (with Tamasha).
Since 1994 the Royal Court’s artistic policy has again been vigorously directed to finding and producing a new generation of playwrights. The writers include Joe Penhall, Rebecca Prichard, Michael Wynne, Nick Grosso, Judy Upton, Meredith Oakes, Sarah Kane, Anthony Neilson, Judith Johnson, James Stock, Jez Butterworth, Marina Carr, Phyllis Nagy, Simon Block, Martin McDonagh, Mark Ravenhill, Ayub Khan Din, Tamantha Hammerschlag, Jess Walters, Ché Walker, Conor McPherson, Simon Stephens, Richard Bean, Roy Williams, Gary Mitchell, Mick Mahoney, Rebecca Gilman, Christopher Shinn, Kia Corthron, David Gieselmann, Marius von Mayenburg, David Eldridge, Leo Butler, Zinnie Harris, Grae Cleugh, Roland Schimmelpfennig, Chloe Moss, DeObia Oparei, Enda Walsh, Vassily Sigarev, the Presnyakov Brothers, Marcos Barbosa, Lucy Prebble, John Donnelly, Clare Pollard, Robin French, Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder, Rob Evans and Laura Wade. This expanded programme of new plays has been made possible through the support of A.S.K. Theater Projects and the Skirball Foundation, The Jerwood Charity, the American Friends of the Royal Court Theatre and (in 1994/5 and 1999) in association with the National Theatre Studio.
In recent years there have been record-breaking productions at the box office, with capacity houses for Joe Penhall’s Dumb Show, Conor McPherson’s Shining City, Roy Williams’ Fallout and Terry Johnson’s Hitchcock Blonde.
The refurbished theatre in Sloane Square opened in February 2000, with a policy still inspired by the first artistic director George Devine. The Royal Court is an international theatre for new plays and new playwrights, and the work shapes contemporary drama in Britain and overseas.
INTERNATIONAL PLAYWRIGHTS
Since 1992 the Royal Court Theatre has placed a renewed emphasis on the development of international work and a creative dialogue now exists with theatre practitioners all over the world including Brazil, Cuba, France, Germany, India, Mexico, Palestine, Russia and Spain. All of these development projects are supported by the Genesis Foundation and the British Council.
The Royal Court has produced new International plays through this programme since 1997. Recent work includes My Name is Rachel Corrie, At the Table and Almost Nothing by Marcos Barbosa, Push Up by Roland Schimmelpfennig, Ladybird by Vassily Sigarev and Terrorism by the Presnyakov Brothers.
WAY TO HEAVEN is produced by the Royal Court International Department:
Associate Director Elyse Dodgson
International Administrator Chris James
International Associate Tiffany Watt-Smith
PROGRAMME SUPPORTERS
The Royal Court (English Stage Company Ltd) receives its principal funding from Arts Council England, London. It is also supported financially by a wide range of private companies, charitable and public bodies, and earns the remainder of its income from the box office and its own trading activities.
The Genesis Foundation supports International Playwrights and the Young Writers’ Festival.
The Jerwood Charity supports new plays by new playwrights through the Jerwood New Playwrights series.
The Skirball Foundation funds a Playwrights’ Programme at the theatre. The Artistic Director’s Chair is supported by a lead grant from The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation, contributing to the activities of the Artistic Director’s office. Bloomberg Mondays, the Royal Court’s reduced price ticket scheme, is supported by Bloomberg. Over the past eight years the BBC has supported the Gerald Chapman Fund for directors.
ROYAL COURT
DEVELOPMENT BOARD
Tamara Ingram (Chair)
Jonathan Cameron (Vice Chair)
Timothy Burrill
Anthony Burton
Jonathan Caplan QC
Sindy Caplan
Gavin Casey FCA
Mark Crowdy
Cas Donald
Joseph Fiennes
Amanda Foreman
Joyce Hytner OBE
Gavin Neath
Michael Potter
Kadee Robbins
Mark Robinson
William Russell
Sue Stapely
James L Tanner
Will Turner
PUBLIC FUNDING
Arts Council England,
London
British Council
Creative Partnerships
London South
London Challenge
Royal Borough of
Kensington & Chelsea
TRUSTS AND
FOUNDATIONS
American Friends of the
Royal Court Theatre
Gerald Chapman Fund
Cowley Charitable Trust
The Dorset Foundation
The Ronald Duncan
Literary Foundation
The Foundation for
Sport and the Arts
The Foyle Foundation
Francis Finlay Foundation
The Garfield Weston
Foundation
Genesis Foundation
The Haberdashers’
Company
Jerwood Charity
Lynn Foundation
John Lyon’s Charity
The Magowan Family
Foundation
The Rayne Foundation
The Royal Victoria Hall
Foundation
The Peter Jay
