Royal Court Theatre announces new associate playwrights

David Byrne, artistic director of the Royal Court, has unveiled a team of associate playwrights who will contribute to the future of the venue.

Mike Bartlett (King Charles III, The 47th), Ryan Calais Cameron (Retrograde, For Black Boys…), Vinay Patel (An Adventure), and Nina Segal (Shooting Hedda Gabler) will join the Royal Court, alongside Gillian Greer as associate playwright and dramaturg.

The move aims to put writers firmly at the forefront of the Royal Court’s artistic leadership, with Byrne explaining: “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.”

The associate playwrights will work closely with the wider artistic team to develop the theatre’s mission, artistic programme, and support for fellow writers. They will spend one day a week at the Royal Court.

In addition to the five announced today, the Royal Court is launching a national open call to find a sixth and final playwright to complete the team. Collaborating with #OpenHire on the search, the aim is to find someone with experience in playwriting and a track record of championing the work of fellow writers or artists. The deadline for submissions is Thursday 27 May 2024.