JERWOOD CHARITABLE FOUNDATION TO SUPPORT TWO NEW PLAYS THROUGH THE JERWOOD NEW PLAYWRIGHTS PROGRAMME AT THE ROYAL COURT THEATRE

PRESS RELEASE Tuesday 4 August 2015

• Jerwood New Playwrights to support Cordelia Lynn’s debut play LELA & CO. directed by Jude Christian which premières in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, Thursday 3 September – Saturday 3 October.

• Jerwood New Playwrights to support Nicola Wilson’s debut play PLAQUES AND TANGLES directed by Royal Court Associate Director Lucy Morrison which premières in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, Wednesday 14 October – Saturday 21 November.

The Jerwood New Playwrights programme, funded by Jerwood Charitable Foundation, helps the Royal Court Theatre to discover and support the next generation of world class playwrights. Starting with Joe Penhall’s play Some Voices in 1994, the programme has supported 61 writers and 78 plays over the past 21 years.

Each year, Jerwood New Playwrights supports the production of three new works by emerging writers, all of whom are in the first 10 years of their career. The Royal Court Theatre carefully identifies playwrights whose careers would benefit from the challenge and profile of being fully produced either in the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs or Jerwood Theatre Upstairs spaces at the Royal Court.

At the beginning of 2015, Jerwood New Playwrights supported Diana Nneka Atuona’s debut play Liberian Girl produced in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court Theatre. Jerwood Charitable Foundation has now pledged its support towards Lela & Co. by Cordelia Lynn and Plaques and Tangles by Nicola Wilson which will both be produced by the Royal Court this autumn.

Lela & Co.
By Cordelia Lynn
Directed by Jude Christian
Jerwood Theatre Upstairs
Thursday 3 September – Saturday 3 October 2015

“As for what came next, things unspoken and untold until now, it happened like this…”

In the beginning was the mattress.
Gradually, other little changes – more bolts on the front door; the gun; the locked cupboard.
And she knew in her heart that change was bad.

The story of a young girl trapped in an increasingly tiny world.

“Thank you for your interest in Lela & Co. Please feel free to take a feedback form on your way out…”

First-time Royal Court playwright Cordelia Lynn teams up with director Jude Christian to bring this urgent and poetic story based on a true story to the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs.

Conceived by and developed with Desara Bosjna and 1989 Productions.

Design by Ana Inés Jabares Pita, lighting by Oliver Fenwick and sound by David McSeveney.

Cordelia Lynn took part in the 2012 Royal Court Writers Group. Her previous theatre credits include Believers Anonymous (Rosemary Branch) and After the War (ADC, Olivier Bristol).

Jude Christian’s theatre includes Harajuku Girls (Finborough), I’d Rather Goya Robbed Me Of My Sleep Than Some Other Arsehole (Gate, Boom Arts Portland), Bwyta Eliffant? Sut Mae Gwneud Hynny Dwedwch? / How Do You Eat An Elephant? (National Youth Theatre of Wales), Happy, The Mushroom (Pentabus), My Romantic History (English Theatre Berlin), Sonata Movements (Blue Elephant). Opera includes ©alculated to Death (Tête-à-Tête Opera Festival London, Future Shorts Tokyo), Opera ‘Reflection’ workshop (Festival d’Aix-en-Provence).

The Big Idea: Lela & Co.
Playwright Cordelia Lynn in conversation with Royal Court Deputy Literary Manager Louise Stephens
Wednesday 16 September, post-show
Jerwood Theatre Upstairs
Free with a ticket to that evening’s performance
Event Partner: Time Out

More Big Idea events to be announced.

Listings Information:

Lela & Co.
By Cordelia Lynn
Directed by Jude Christian
Thursday 3 September – Saturday 3 October 2015
Jerwood Theatre Upstairs , Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, SW1W 8AS
Monday – Saturday 7.45pm
Saturday matinees (from 12 September) 3pm
Thursday matinees (from 17 September) 3pm
Captioned Performance Friday 2 October 7.45pm
Press Night Wednesday 9 September 7pm
Age Guidance 14+
Tickets £20. Monday’s all seats £10 (available on the day of performance 9am online)
Concessions £15* (available in advance until 12 September, and all matinees. For all other performances, available on a standby basis on the day)
Access £12 (plus a companion at the same rate)
*ID required. All discounts subject to availability.

Lela & Co. is part of the Royal Court Theatre’s Jerwood New Playwrights programme, which aims to discover and support the next generation of world class playwrights, supported by Jerwood Charitable Foundation.

Plaques and Tangles
By Nicola Wilson
Directed by Lucy Morrison
Jerwood Theatre Upstairs
Wednesday 14 October – Saturday 21 November 2015

“I do not accept there is anything wrong with me”

Days before her wedding Megan discovers she has a 50-50 chance of developing early onset Alzheimer’s. Years later she’s offered a genetic test. But if she’s got the gene does she really want to know?

Megan, 21. Megan, 47. Megan, 32. Megan, 27.

One woman lurches through time on a wild memory trip while her young family deal with the consequences.

“I can’t think. But I still feel. And most of the time I feel scared. Scared because it’s too soon. I haven’t finished yet.”

Nicola Wilson’s Royal Court debut Plaques and Tangles explores one woman’s life with early onset Alzheimer’s. Royal Court Associate Lucy Morrison directs.

Design by Andrew D. Edwards and lighting by Anna Watson.

Nicola Wilson’s previous theatre includes Moonwalking (Oran Mor). Radio includes Cut to the Heart, Life on the Edges.

Lucy Morrison is Associate Director at the Royal Court where her credits include Hidden (Live Lunch), Who Cares, Pests and Product (also at Traverse and European tour). Pests was a Royal Court co-production with Clean Break for whom Lucy has worked as Head of Artistic Programming and directed Billy the Girl (Soho Theatre), Little on the Inside (Almeida Festival and Latitude), it felt empty when the heart went at first but it is alright now (Arcola Theatre) and This Wide Night (Soho). Morrison also originated and commissioned the Charged and Re-Charged seasons at Soho Theatre in which she directed Fatal Light and Doris Day.

The Big Idea: Plaques and Tangles
Playwright Nicola Wilson in conversation with Royal Court Associate Director Lucy Morrison
Wednesday 28 October, post-show
Jerwood Theatre Upstairs
Free with a ticket to that evening’s performance
Event Partner: Time Out

More Big Idea events to be announced.

Plaques and Tangles
By Nicola Wilson
Directed by Lucy Morrison
Wednesday 14 October – Saturday 21 November 2015
Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, SW1W 8AS
Monday – Saturday 7.45pm
Saturday matinees (from 24 October) 3pm
Thursday matinees (from 22 October) 3pm
Captioned Performance Friday 6 November 7.45pm
Press Night Tuesday 20 October 7pm
Age Guidance 14+
Tickets £20. Mondays all seats £10 (available on day of performance from 9am online).
Concessions £15* (available in advance until 24 October, and all matinees. For all other performances, available on a standby basis on the day)
Access £12 (plus a companion at the same rate)
*ID required. All discounts subject to availability.

Plaques and Tangles is part of the Royal Court’s Jerwood New Playwrights programme, which aims to discover and support the next generation of world class playwrights, supported by Jerwood Charitable Foundation.

ends

Notes to Editors:
For more information or images please contact Anoushka Hay on 0207 565 5063 / AnoushkaHay@royalcourttheatre.com

In 2015 Jerwood New Playwrights, the longstanding partnership between Jerwood Charitable Foundation and the Royal Court Theatre is 21 years old. Each year, Jerwood New Playwrights supports the production of three new works by emerging writers, all of whom are in the first 10 years of their career. The Royal Court carefully identifies playwrights whose careers would benefit from the challenge and profile of being fully produced either in the Jerwood Downstairs or Jerwood Upstairs Theatres at the Royal Court.

Jerwood Charitable Foundation supports the Jerwood New Playwrights programme and is dedicated to imaginative and responsible revenue funding of the arts, supporting emerging artists to develop and grow at important stages in their careers. The aim of its funding is to allow artists and arts organisations to thrive; to continue to develop their skills, imagination and creativity with integrity. It works with artists across art forms, from dance and theatre to literature, music and the visual arts. For more information visit www.jerwoodcharitablefoundation.org

Here is a full list of the writers and their productions that have been supported by Jerwood New Playwrights from 1994-2015:
Joe Penhall (SOME VOICES), Nick Grosso (PEACHES, REAL CLASSY AFFAIR), Judy Upton (ASHESAND SAND), Sarah Kane (BLASTED, CLEANSED, 4.48 PSYCHOSIS), Michael Wynne (THE KNOCKY,THE PEOPLE ARE FRIENDLY), Judith Johnson (UGANDA), Sebastian Barry THE STEWARD OFCHRISTENDOM), Jez Butterworth (MOJO), Mark Ravenhill (SHOPPING AND FUCKING), Ayub Khan Din (EAST IS EAST, NOTES ON FALLING LEAVES), Martin McDonagh (THE BEAUTY QUEEN OFLEENANE), Jess Walters (COCKROACH, WHO?), Tamantha Hammerschlag (BACKPAY), Conor McPherson (THE WEIR), Meredith Oakes (FAITH), Rebecca Prichard (FAIR GAME), Roy Williams (LIFT OFF, CLUBLAND, FALLOUT), Richard Bean (TOAST, UNDER THE WHALEBACK), Gary Mitchell (TRUST, THE FORCE OF CHANGE), Mick Mahoney (SACRED HEART, FOOD CHAIN), Marina Carr (ON RAFTERY’S HILL), David Eldridge (UNDER THE BLUE SKY, INCOMPLETE AND RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS), David Harrower (PRESENCE), Simon Stephens (HERONS, COUNTRY MUSIC,MOTORTOWN), Leo Butler (REDUNDANT, LUCKY DOG), Enda Walsh (BEDBOUND), David Greig (OUTLYING ISLANDS), Zinnie Harris (NIGHTINGALE AND CHASE), Grae Cleugh (FUCKING GAMES), Rona Munro (IRON), Ché Walker (FLESHWOUND), Laura Wade (BREATHING CORPSES, CATCH), debbie tucker green (STONING MARY), Gregory Burke (ON TOUR), Stella Feehily (O GO MY MAN,CATCH), Simon Faquhar (RAINBOW KISS), April De Angelis (CATCH), Tanika Gupta (CATCH), Chloe Moss (CATCH), Polly Stenham (THAT FACE, TUSK TUSK), Mike Bartlett (MY CHILD), Fiona Evans (SCARBOROUGH), Levi David Addai (OXFORD STREET), Bola Agbaje (GONE TOO FAR!, OFF THEENDZ), Alexi Kaye Campbell (THE PRIDE), Alia Bano (SHADES), Tim Crouch (THE AUTHOR), DC Moore (THE EMPIRE), Anya Reiss (SPUR OF THE MOMENT, THE ACID TEST), Penelope Skinner (THE VILLAGE BIKE), Rachel De-lahay (THE WESTBRIDGE, ROUTES), Nick Payne (CONSTELLATIONS), Vivienne Franzmann (THE WITNESS, PESTS), E.V. Crowe (HERO), Anders Lustgarten (IF YOU DON’TLET US DREAM, WE WON’T LET YOU SLEEP), Suhayla El-Bushra (PIGEONS), Clare Lizzimore (MINT), Alistair McDowall (TALK SHOW), Rory Mullarkey (THE WOLF FROM THE DOOR), Molly Davies (GOD BLESS THE CHILD), Diana Nneka Atuona (LIBERIAN GIRL), Cordelia Lynn (LELA & CO.) and Nicola Wilson (PLAQUES AND TANGLES).