A resource for playwrights and writers.


The Royal Court Young Writers Festival runs from 23 February – 14 April, showcasing promising young talent from across the UK.

Music to watch plays by... Leo Butler’s Spotify playlist

Music to watch plays by… Leo Butler’s Spotify playlist

Leo Butler, Writers Tutor for the Royal Court, has tapped into his musical side and created a Spotify playlist for the Young Writers Festival. If you’ve got Spotify then you can get the playlist here. Here’s what Leo has chosen…
Music to watch plays by... Luke Norris’ Spotify playlist

Music to watch plays by… Luke Norris’ Spotify playlist

Luke Norris, writer of Goodbye to All That has created a Spotify playlist for us at the Young Writers Festival. If you’ve got Spotify then you can get the playlist here. If you can’t wait until you hear it, here’s a look at what Luke picked…
Royal Court Theatre Writers' Top Tips. Episode 1

Royal Court Theatre Writers’ Top Tips. Episode 1

EPISODE 1: top tips by Royal Court writers and staff We caught up with established and emerging Royal Court playwrights and Royal Court staff - including Dennis Kelly, David Eldridge, Alia Bano and Bola Agbaje and Royal Court staff Leo Butler, Ola Animashawun and Chris Campbell – to find out what they’d recommend any budding writer.  ...
Toolkit Teaser

Toolkit Teaser

Here’s a peek at the videos we’re going to be hosting on this site and some of the content coming your way…
100 Word Plays

100 Word Plays

The Young Writers Festival is just around the corner, and the writing is on the wall…in the lifts, on the tickets, under the drinks – the entire building will be overflowing with new short plays and we’d like you to write them. We’re inviting writers of all ages and experiences to have...
Latest entries

Writing Tips – Joe Harbot

Before you give up, try to finish. JOE HARBOT For the Royal Court: The Running Machine Other theatre includes: May Fair (Latitude Festival/Pentabus Theatre), Memories (Southwark Playhouse).  
Reading List - Clare (Studio @ Royal Court)

Reading List – Clare (Studio @ Royal Court)

1. Macbeth by William Shakespeare 2. Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare 3. generations by debbie tucker green 4. The Seagull by Anton Chekov 5. Far Away by Caryl Churchill Extras… Constellations by Nick Payne Kin by EV Crowe The Stone by Marius von Mayenburg
Writing Tips - D C Moore

Writing Tips – D C Moore

1. Know your medium. It’s pretty simple but if you want to write plays, then read and watch a lot of theatre. I read an article a few years ago which suggested that the number of people who enter poetry-writing competitions in any given year far exceeds the number of people who actually buy volumes...
Reading List - Ruth H (Marketing @ Royal Court)

Reading List – Ruth H (Marketing @ Royal Court)

1. Fewer emergencies/Face Against the Wall by Martin Crimp 2. random by  debbie tucker green 3. Alaska by DC Moore 4. Herons by Simon Stephens 5. The Dumb Waiter by Harold Pinter

Reading List – Leo Butler

1. King Lear by William Shakespeare 2. Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare 3. Krapp’s Last Tape by Samuel Beckett 4. Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller 5. Woyzeck by Georg Büchner

Reading List – Caitlin (Trainee Director @ Royal Court)

1. Angles in America by Tony Kushner 2. Accidental Death of An Anarchist by Dario Fo 3. One Flea Spare by Naomi Wallace 4. Scenes of an Execution by Howard Barker 5. Come Down Burning by Kia Corthron  
Reading List - Joe (FOH @ Royal Court)

Reading List – Joe (FOH @ Royal Court)

1. Angels in America by Tony Kushner   2. Last Easter by Bryony Lavery   3. Edmond by David Mamet   4. The Beauty Queen of Leenane AND/OR The Pillowman by Martin McDonaugh   5. Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris       And, also, because I can’t stop now…   The Glass Menagerie by...
Reading List - Becky (Marketing @ Royal Court)

Reading List – Becky (Marketing @ Royal Court)

1. random by Debbie Tucker Green 2. Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth 3. Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams 4. Masterpieces by Sarah Daniels 5. Far Away by Caryl Churchill

Writing Tips – David Watson

Write the kind of play that you’d like to go and see on stage.   And don’t be frightened of writing a really rough first draft.   Just get it out there.   Listen to all notes, and act on the ones that ring true.   And have fun. DAVID WATSON For the Royal Court: Just A Bloke Other theatre...
100 Word Plays - Church by D C Moore

100 Word Plays – Church by D C Moore

The 100 Word Plays are now appearing around the building… have you written one yet? http://www.royalcourttheatre.com/playwriting/the-studio/100-word-plays/
100 Word Plays Around the building

100 Word Plays Around the building

The 100 Word Plays are now appearing around the building… have you written one yet? http://www.royalcourttheatre.com/playwriting/the-studio/100-word-plays/
Reading List - Cast of Goodbye to all That

Reading List – Cast of Goodbye to all That

Here’s the five favourite plays of the cast of Goodbye too all That… Susan Brown (playing Iris) Small Change – Peter Gill Top Girls – Caryl Churchill A Streetcar Named Desire – Tennessee Williams As You Like It – Williams Shakespeare The Three Sisters – Anton Chekhov Roger Sloman (playing Frank) Measure for Measure –...

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