Royal Court Theatre - Spring 2012
Preview by Lizzie Guilfoyle
THE ROYAL Court Theatre has announced its programme for Spring 2012 and it includes work by Nick Payne, Luke Norris, Hayley Squires and Bola Agbaje – all in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs.
Constellations by Nick Payne runs from January 13 to February 11.
In what is described as an explosive new play about free will and friendship, Michael Longhurst (Remembrance Day, Royal Court, On the Record, Arcola Theatre) directs a cast that includes Rafe Spall.
Joining Spall in this two-hander is Sally Hawkins, who won a Golden Globe for her performance in Mike Leigh’s 2008 film Happy-Go-Lucky. She has previously appeared at the Royal Court in the 2006 production of The Winterling.
Nick Payne’s most recent play at the Royal Court was Wanderlust. His other credits include One Day When We Were Young (for Paines Plough at Sheffield Theatres) and If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet (Bush Theatre). In 2009, he was the winner of the George Devine Award in 2009.
Constellations is part of the Royal Court’s Jerwood New Playwrights programme, supported by the Jerwood Charitable Foundation.
Goodbye To All That by Luke Norris – February 23 to March 17.
Frank has been married for forty years. Three years ago he fell in love. Described as a taut and tender new play, Goodbye To all That asks if it’s ever too late to start again. Simon Godwin directs.
As an actor, Luke Norris appeared at the Royal Court earlier this year in Aleksey Scherbak’s Remembrance Day. He attended Royal Court playwrighting groups, before entering the Young Writers Festival. Goodbye To all That is his first play.
Vera Vera Vera by Hayley Squires – March 22 to April 14.
The boy who comes back from a war far away in a wooden box is glorified and called a hero. As the funeral plans are made on an estate in a small Kent town, his siblings squabble over who he was. Maybe the fanfare isn’t needed for this heroic martyr.
A new play about fighting, Vera Vera Vera examines violence, neglect and apathy. Jo McInnes directs.
Belong by Bola Agbaje – April 26 to May 26.
Election lost, speeches made and controversy stirred – Kayode’s hiding. He’s not even answering the door to the cleaner, and Rita is not going to start getting out the Hoover in her designer heels. Escaping the political heat in London, he flees to Nigeria – a British MP and a self-made man. Once there, he gets caught up in a whole new power game.
This satirical new play, directed by Indhu Rubasingham, questions our notion of home.
Lucian Msamati, whose theatre credits include Dominic Cooke’s National Theatre production of The Comedy of Errors; Clybourne Park (Royal Court and Wyndhams Theatre); The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Lyric Hammersmith) and Ruined (Almeida Theatre) will play Kayode.
Bola Agbaje’s debut play, Gone Too Far, was performed at the Royal Court in 2007 as part of the Royal Court’s Young Writers Festival. As well as winning an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement, Agbaje was also nominated for Most Promising Playwright at the Evening Standard Awards. In 2010, she returned to the Royal Court with Off the Endz.
Rachel De-lahay’s Westbridge runs in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs from November 25 to December 23, 2011. Meanwhile, Jumpy continues in the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs until November 19. It will be followed – from December 2, 2011 to January 14, 2012 – by Joe Penhall’s Haunted Child and – from February 16 to March 24, 2012 – by David Eldridge’s In Basildon.
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