Royal Court Theatre

“The Royal Court Theatre is the writers’ theatre. It is a leading force in world theatre for cultivating and supporting writers – undiscovered, emerging and established.” Royal Court Theatre website.

From January to May 2024, I was Interim Literary Associate at the Royal Court. If you are a playwright and would like to make contact in relation this this, please check the Royal Court’s playwrights’ pages here, where you will find details on how to contact the Royal Court, invite the literary team to a show, or submit a script.

I have worked with the Royal Court Theatre, specifically its international playwrights programme, since 2003. The most public-facing aspect of my work is as a translator, beginning in 2004 with The Concert by Ulises Rodríguez Febles, from Cuba. Royal Court performances that I have translated from Spanish have included B by Guillermo Calderón, Negra by Bosco Cayo and the recent A Fight Against… by Pablo Manzi, among many others.

Behind the scenes, however, I have provided script-reading and dramaturgical support on many new writing projects. For close to two decades, I have read scripts in multiple drafts, provided written reports on them, discussed their progress and made suggestions for further work. I have supported the Royal Court in assessing applications for these new-writing projects and supported programming decisions for festivals such as New Plays from Chile and Arena Mexico. Over this time, I have read and given feedback on hundreds of plays, as well as proposals and applications for new projects, and scouted for new writers. In 2022-23 I am Coordinating Translator on the Royal Court’s latest Spanish-language new-writing project, offering mentoring and other support to the translation team as well as translating myself.

As a course leader, in 2022 I facilitated the first-ever Royal Court Theatre ‘Introduction to Translation’ group, and repeated this in 2023.

In rehearsal settings, I have formed close relationships with writers and other creatives, facilitating communications and cultural understanding. I have interpreted at feedback sessions, during play development, and at round tables or panel discussions.

Through my networks I have supported the international work of the Court in languages other than Spanish, and have provided guidance on the processes of translation and working productively with translators.

In recent years I have also participated as a speaker in my own right at panel events for the Royal Court’s development department and Young Agitators programme.

Royal Court Projects since 2003

A Fight Against… by Pablo Manzi (Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, 2021-22)

New writing workshops in: Chile/Peru 2018-2020, Chile/Uruguay/Argentina 2016-18, Mexico 2007, 2011, 2014-15, 2022-2023; Cuba 2013-15, 2008-10, 2003-04; Spain 2007

International Residency 2019, 2004-2014; individual writer residencies 2010, 2018; including Flashback by Vanessa Montfort, Berlin is Not Yours by Alejandro Moreno, and The Eternal Summer of War by Hugo Alfredo Hinojosa.

B by Guillermo Calderón (Jerwood Theatre Downstairs) 2017

New & Now (Edinburgh International Festival) 2017, featuring Drainage Alley by Laura Liz Gil Echenique (watch) and Discurso by Guillermo Calderón (watch)

The Big Idea PIIGS (Jerwood Theatre Upstairs) 2013, featuring Chalkland by Vanessa Montfort

New Plays from Chile 2013, for which I translated four plays: Negra by Bosco Cayo, That Thing I Never Shared With You by Claudia Hidalgo, Chan! by Camila Le-Bert, and Ñuke (Mother) by David Arancibia.

International season 2010, featuring Villa and Speech by Guillermo Calderón and Cinema Red by Zaria Abreu

Rough Cuts 2008, featuring 581 Maps by Juan Mayorga and Midnight Revolutions by Norge Espinosa

Arena Mexico 2006, featuring Little Certainties by Bárbara Colio and Seven Eleven by Iván Olivares

Cuba Real 2004, featuring The Concert by Ulises Rodríguez Febles

Contact me for more details.

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