Royal Court Theatre announces Associate Playwrights

Today David Byrne, Artistic Director of the Royal Court, has announced that Mike Bartlett (Love, Love, Love), Ryan Calais Cameron (For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy), Vinay Patel (An Adventure) and Nina Segal (Shooting Hedda Gabler) will join the Royal Court as Associate Playwrights, alongside Gillian Greer (Boy Parts) as Associate Playwright and Dramaturg who joined the organisation earlier in this year.

This team of Associate Playwrights puts writers at the very heart of the Royal Court. Working closely with the wider artistic leadership, they will help develop the theatre’s mission, artistic programme, support of fellow writers and see the writers’ theatre placed in the hands of playwrights. The Associate Playwrights will spend one day a week at the Royal Court – bringing their own unique experience, insight, flair and perspectives to the organisation, while feeding into a collective approach to the leadership of the theatre. Gillian Greer also joins full time, serving as lead dramaturg across the artistic programmes.

Alongside the five being announced today, the Royal Court is launching a national open call to find a sixth and final playwright to complete the team and join in shaping the theatre’s future. Applicants can be based anywhere in the country and have worked in any part of the sector, but must have experience of playwriting and a track record championing the work of fellow writers or artists. The deadline for submissions is Thursday 27 May 2024.

David Byrne, Artistic Director of the Royal Court said: “One of my first acts as Artistic Director is to bring some exceptional fellow playwrights with me into  the artistic leadership behind a simple vision: the writers’ theatre run by playwrights for the benefit of writers everywhere. Even from our electric early conversations, I know that this game-changing team of associates are going to help re-write the rules of what it means to support writers, creating the culture for a new generation of playwrights to thrive.

 And we’ve left one chair at the table empty, to allow us to find someone new, not directly appointed by me but found through an open call. Fellow playwrights – if you want to be a part of making the Royal Court a beacon for new writing nationally and internationally, come and join us. It’s going to be the adventure of a lifetime – and it’s the best distraction from your latest draft that you’ll ever find!”

See here for the full press release.

To apply for the position of Associate Playwright, see here.