After a dismal run, the Royal Court is finally having its renaissance

SEEN anything good at the Royal Court recently? In recent years, ask that of the theatergoer in your life and the question would probably elicit a wince.

- Nick Clark

But that is all about to change. 

Yesterday marked the start of the new broom. Artistic director David Byrne (no, not the bloke from Talking Heads — that really would have been a coup) launched his first season and, what was this? It was actually really exciting.

His announcement of established theatremakers and exciting young writers all making their debut at the Sloane Square venue sparked real buzz — something that had been missing from the venue’s recent announcements.

Among the highlights is Sir Nicholas Hytner, who led the National Theatre for more than a decade, directing John Lithgow as Roald Dahl in Giant, a play about a Jewish publisher trying to navigate the fall-out of the author’s antisemitic outbursts in the press.

Ben Whishaw is returning to the London stage opposite House of the Dragon’s Emma D’Arcy and The Girl Before’s Kayla Meikle in a new adaptation of the acclaimed book Bluets by Maggie Nelson. Seeing these performers in the gloriously intimate auditorium of the Court will be a treat — even if getting tickets will clearly be a bunfight.