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2000 / 2001
At the beginning of a new series, chief critic Sarah Crompton and editor-in-chief Alex Wood weigh the merits of the century’s new writing. Will Sarah Kane, Caryl Churchill or Joe Penhall take the 2000 crown? And what about Martin McDonagh’s contribution to 2001?
2002 / 2003
In part two of the brand new series exploring the best plays of the 21st century, chief critic Sarah Crompton and editor-in-chief Alex Wood have landed in 2002 and 2003. There, they weigh up the merits of new work from Caryl Churchill, Roy Williams and Kwame Kwei-Armah. Plus new writing from Lucy Prebble and Lynn Nottage. Who will take the crown in each year?
2004 / 2005
In part three of our "Top Plays of the Century" series, chief critic Sarah Crompton and editor-in-chief Alex Wood have arrived in 2004 and 2005!
They discuss new work from Alan Bennett and David Hare while announcing the arrival of a new generation - Laura Wade, Simon Stephens, David Harrower among them.
2006 / 2007
In part four of our “Top Plays of the Century” series, chief critic Sarah Crompton and editor-in-chief Alex Wood have arrived in 2006 and 2007!
They discuss the mighty War Horse, sublime new work from Complicité, incredible Scottish writing and blistering debuts. They also finally mull over the question – what actually is a play?
2008 / 2009
As part of their long-running series exploring the best plays of the century, Alex Wood and Sarah Crompton end the ’00s with a bumper examination of two pivotal years for playwriting this century – with Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem, Lucy Prebble’s Enron, John Logan’s Red, Lynn Nottage’s Ruined and so many more to mull over.
But which plays will be Sarah’s top picks? And what have we forgotten from the year before?
2010 / 2011
As we continue our search for the top plays of the century, we’ve hit the 2010s! Sarah Crompton and Alex Wood continue their odyssey, which in this episode has two central themes: plays about climate catastrophe and the gargantuan success of the Royal Court under Dominic Cooke.
At the same time, playwrights like Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and Alice Birch are entering the mix… while Laura Wade correctly predicts Partygate a decade early. And James Corden brings some cheer with One Man, Two Guvnors.
2012 / 2013
We hit 2012 and 2013, and the year of the London Olympics and its successor see theatre at a red hot peak. Sarah Crompton and Alex Wood discuss plays from James Graham’s mainstream breakthrough with This House to Lucy Prebble’s The Effect and Lucy Kirkwood’s era-defining Chimerica. Plus The Audience with Helen Mirren and the groundbreaking The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, while a plucky comedy troupe begin world domination in the form of Mischief’s The Play That Goes Wrong!
