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Recipients of Royal Court’s Young Playwrights Award discuss the future of new theatre: “If we don’t explore new work, we limit our understanding of what theatre can be”
Continuing its endeavour to nurture new talent, the Royal Court has once again welcomed teenagers across the UK to put their vision and creativity into the blank page. Guillermo Nazara chats with this year’s recipients of the 16-18 prize to learn more about their work and the situation of the arts in a not-so-favourable education…
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Review of ‘Archduke’: “Regicidal comedy doesn’t seize the crown”
Someone’s plotting murder on the Royal Court stage this month. And someone has got away with it. So far, nobody’s been killed. But something has — repeatedly. Those who have sat through this tongue-in-cheek political drama dealing with the assassination of Austrian royalty, Franz Ferdinand, might have already guessed what I’m talking about. And chances…
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Review of ‘John Proctor Is The Villain’: “Revisionist play is a crucible of ideas, but the narrative is a witch’s brew”
Following the success of its original Broadway run, London’s Royal Court presents Kimberly Belflower’s modern exploration of Arthur Miller’s classic. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show to let us know if its execution is hanging by a thread. I still think Abigail Williams is the bad guy. In other words, we could confidently…
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Review of ‘Guess How Much I Love You?’: “Newborn drama is followed by successful delivery”
London’s Royal Court Theatre opens its 2026 season with a poignant play about parental grieving. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show to let us know if this child’s play comes off as a difficult watch. It pains me to write this review. Probably, more than most I’ve penned before. And it’s not because…
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Review of ‘Cow | Deer’: “ASMR staging puts audiences in a state of foley à deux”
The Royal Court Theatre welcomes this new experimental play employing sound as its only narrative tool. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show to let us know if its environmentalist plot turns out to be all hat and no cattle. If hearing has recently become an expendable option at the Royal Court’s main space,…
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Review of ‘Deaf Republic’: “Strongly resonant themes come together through a weak narrative vision”
The Royal Court Theatre welcomes this dystopian drama featuring a unique array of theatrical crafts to convey an unsettling tale of struggle and resilience. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show to let us know if its vociferous message and delivery bear anything unheard of. We all dream of a better world for everyone…
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Review of ‘After The Act’: “Just jacking audiences up through will and grace”
The Royal Court hosts the London return of this verbatim musical collecting testimonies of real-life LGBT people affected by Section 28. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show, to let us know if this lively celebration of freedom and identity ends up making audiences gay. This is no fairy tale. Well, it is, but…
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Review of ‘Scenes From A Repatriation’: “The early, early morning of the dragon”
The Royal Court hosts the world premiere of Joel Tan’s latest play, exploring the subject of historical reparation through a critical point of view. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show, to let us know if its thought-provoking narrative, set around an ancient Chinese monument, left him in a state of Confucius. History is…
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Review of ‘A Knock On The Roof’: “A powder-keg narrative still waiting for ignition”
The Royal Court Theatre welcomes the London premiere of Khawla Ibraheem, exploring the struggles of a young Palestinian mother trying to survive during the Gaza Strip conflict. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show, to let us know if this singular vision of a globally conscious topic manages to bring a universal grasp into…
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Review of ‘A Good House’: “A sharp look under the hood”
The Royal Court Theatre hosts the London premiere of this new play made in co-production with the Bristol Old Vic – exploring the struggles of racial prejudice and cultural clash through neighbour-to-neighbour relationships. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show, to let us know if its home-arresting narrative ends ups mortgaging itself. The Bible…
