Dates:
New Court Theatre: 1888 – 1952
Royal Court Theatre: 1956 – present
Official website: https://royalcourttheatre.com
Theatre Downstairs – The main proscenium arch theatre space, currently 400 seats, opened in 1952.
Theatre Upstairs – Opened in 1969 as a 63 seat venue
History & Past Productions:
- 1995: Threatened with closure. £16.2 million awarded from the National Lottery to redevelop the building and all facilities. Work began on 24 March 1996.
- Not Quite Jerusalem (2 December 1980 – 10 January 1981) by Paul Kember
- Rhinoceros (April 28 1960 for a limited season): by Ionesco, starring Laurence Olivier, Joan Plowright, Alan Webb, Duncan Macrae, Miles Malleson
- Krapp’s Last Tape (October 1958 – ?) performed by Patrick Magee, written by Samuel Beckett – Premiere production.
- Don’t Look Back in Anger (1956 )by John Osborne, the third production of the English Stage Company.
- 1952: Theatre reconstructed by Robert Cromie, and the number of seats was reduced to under 500. It reopened in 1952.
- 1932 – 1940: Used as a cinema, before World War II bomb damage closed the building.
- 1888 September 24th – The present building first opened, as the New Court Theatre. Designed by Walter Eden and Bertie Crewe. Capacity was 841 in the stalls, dress circle, amphitheatre and gallery.
Artistic Directors:
- George Devine (1952 – ?) The English Stage Company began at the Royal Court in 1956.
- William Gaskill (1965 – 1972)
- Robert Kidd & Nicholas Wright (1975 – 1977)
- Max Stafford-Clarke (1979 – 1993)
- Stuart Burge
- Lindsay Anderson
- Anthony Page
- Ian Rickson (1998 – 2006)
- Dominic Cooke (2007 – 2012)
- Vicky Featherstone (2013 – )
Equipment
1971 (from The Stage Guide)
Electrics: Strand SP60 board in rear of Upper Circle. Dimmers – 60 (58 x 2kW and 2 x 5kW); 3 presets; 2 groups. Circuits – FOH 23; Flies 31; Stage dips 6. Socket type – 15A BESA. Total capacity available – 500A on 3 phases. Special effects supply – 60A on 1 phase.
Sound: Console in rear of Upper Circle. 2 amplifiers x 120W. 2 tape decks. No turntables. No mic sockets. 10 loudspeakers.
