Royal Court announces new season, including plays by Danny Lee Wynter and Martin Crimp

There’s also new works by Travis Alabanza and creations based on ideas by Tracy-Ann Oberman.

Seven new works will be staged at the Royal Court as part of the upcoming season. The Royal Court now has shows confirmed through April 2023.

“First time playwrights and hugely experienced writers and journalists come together to make the variety of work at the Royal Court,” said Royal Court artistic director, Vicky Featherstone.

“Everyone shares the urgent need to ask questions in an overwhelming world, and with their words and playful imaginations offer us a place to meet their stories, their ideas, and their experiences.”

Jonathan Freedland’s new work, Jews. In Their Own Words. will premiere at the Royal Court this September. Based on an idea by Tracy-Ann Oberman, the piece will explore Jewish upbringing and a legacy of British antisemitism. Interviewees include Luciana Berger, Stephen Bush, Margaret Hodge, Howard Jacobson, Dave Rich, and Simon Schama.

Vicky Featherstone and Audrey Sheffield co-direct Jews. In Their Own Words. The play begins previews on 19 September, ahead of an opening night on 26 September, and performances to 22 October.

Rabiah Hussain’s Word-Play will begin previews on 28 September, ahead of an opening night on 4 October and performances to 5 November. Word-Play follows the prime minister as he is caught ad-libbing on television, and the consequence of his words. Nimmo Ismail directs Word-Play.

Christian Lapointe will then direct Martin Crimp’s play, Not One Of These People, which runs from 3 to 5 November. The new work will use deep-fake computer technology to bring 299 characters on stage.

Later this year, Jasmine Naziha Jones’s play, Baghdaddy, will premiere at the Royal Court. Milli Bhatia directs a historical coming-of-age play which follows a young Iraqi girl as she deals with her identity. Baghdaddy begins previews on 18 November, ahead of an opening on 24 November, and performances to 17 December.

In 2023, Travis Alabanza’s play, Sound of the Underground, will open, with previews from 19 January, an opening night on 25 January and performances to 25 February. Debbie Hannan directs a piece all about the London queer club scene and getting your money’s worth from live art.

Graceland will play in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs. Ava Wong Davies’s play follows two people who meet and fall in love. Graceland runs from 9 February to 11 Mar. 2023.

Daniel Evans then directs Danny Lee Wynter’s play, Black Superhero. Wynter’s debut play follows David as he falls in love with King, a superhero. Black Superhero begins previews on 14 March, ahead of an opening night on 21 March and performances to 29 Apr. 2023.

Photo credit: Danny Lee Wynter (Photo by Niall McDiarmaid)