The Royal Court Theatre is the undisputed champion of playwrights, giving voice to the revolutionary, the rebellious, and the downright radical. Since its 1956 rebirth under the daring direction of George Devine, this theatre has never shied away from a good drama—both on and off the stage.
The Royal Court is where John Osborne’s "Look Back in Anger" ruffled the feathers of the 1950s establishment, marking the dawn of modern British drama. Despite initial empty seats and scathing reviews, Osborne’s angst-ridden masterpiece found a steadfast champion in Devine, who famously scoured through over 700 scripts to find that diamond in the rough. The Royal Court has been the cradle for many a misfit genius ever since.
Theatre Upstairs, the black box studio introduced in 1969, was a game-changer, with early productions like "The Rocky Horror Show" and Caryl Churchill’s "Owners." The 60s and 70s saw the Royal Court at loggerheads with the Lord Chamberlain's Office, the notorious censors of the day. Plays like Edward Bond’s "Saved" and "A Patriot for Me" were so controversial they helped abolish stage censorship altogether.
Max Stafford-Clark's tenure in the 80s brought a fresh wave of groundbreaking playwrights, including Andrea Dunbar and Hanif Kureishi, while Stephen Daldry’s 90s saw the rise of in-yer-face theatre, with Sarah Kane and Mark Ravenhill shaking audiences to their core. By the late 90s, the building itself was in dire need of a makeover, earning both praise as "the most important theatre in Europe" and criticism as "a dump."
Thanks to a £16.2 million National Lottery grant, the Royal Court underwent a much-needed renovation, reopening in 2000 with modern facilities that retained its historic charm. Today, with two dynamic spaces—Theatre Downstairs and Theatre Upstairs—the Royal Court continues to push boundaries, cultivate new voices, and, quite frankly, make a right royal ruckus in the world of theatre.
Details
- Address:
- Sloane Square
- SW1W 8AS
- Transport:
- Railway station: Sloane Square Bus numbers: (Sloane Square Station Stop D) 19, 22, 137, 452