The Royal Court Theatre is one of the primary forums in the development of post-war drama. Under the title of the English Stage Company the theatre’s house actors and dramatists commissioned and produced some of the most influential plays in modern theatre history, including the works of Brenton, Churchill, Bond and Osborne. The story of the Royal Court is also the history of the contemporary stage. In this absorbing account of the theatre’s history from 1956 to 1998 Philip Roberts draws on previously unpublished archives in both public and private collections and a series of interviews with people prominent in the Court’s life. The book also includes a Foreword by the former Director of the Royal Court, Max Stafford-Clark. The result is an intimate account of the working of the foremost house of modern drama and its relationships to the world of the theatre in Britain and abroad.
• Includes previously unpublished archival material including private papers, diaries, etc. Also includes interviews with key Royal Court practitioners • Foreword by Max Stafford-Clark • Documentary of one of the most important and influential theatres working today
Contents
Foreword Max Stafford-Clark; Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; Biographical notes; Preface; Introduction: abortive schemes, 1951–1954; 1. Coincidences, 1954–1956; 2. The struggle for control, 1956–1960; 3. Conflict and competition, 1960–1965; 4. A socialist theatre, 1965–1969; 5. A humanist theatre, 1969–1975; 6. Changing places, 1975–1979; 7. Theatre in a cold climate, 1980–1986; 8. Holding on, 1987–1993; Afterword; Notes; Bibliography; Index.
Review
‘Philip Roberts … produces an essential documentary account …’ Times Literary Supplement
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