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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 In this absorbing account of the theatre's history from 1956 to 1998, Philip Roberts draws on previously unpublished archives in both public and private collections and a series of interviews with people prominent in the Court's life.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.
List of contents
Foreword Max Stafford-Clark; Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; Biographical notes; Preface; Introduction: abortive schemes, 1951-4; 1. Coincidences, 1954-6; 2. The struggle for control, 1956-60; 3. Conflict and competition, 1960-5; 4. A socialist theatre, 1965-9; 5. A humanist theatre, 1969-75; 6. Changing places, 1975-9; 7. Theatre in a cold climate, 1980-6; 8. Holding on, 1987-93; Afterword; Notes; Bibliography; Index.
About the author
Philip Roberts was born in Ferndale, Rhondda. Son of a shoemaker, he attended Ferndale Grammar School and subsequently, after National Service, attended Trinity College, Carmarthen and obtained a Teaching Certificate. Later, he obtained a Humanities Degree with the Open University. He taught English at Llanrumney High School, Cardiff, for 27 years.
Summary
The Royal Court Theatre produced some of the most influential plays in modern theatre, including works of Brenton, Churchill, Bond and Osborne. In this account, from 1956 to 1998, Philip Roberts employs unpublished archives and interviews and includes a Foreword by the former Director of the Royal Court, Max Stafford-Clark.
