Royal Court Theatre reopens with Living Newspaper
Harriet Clifford
Friday, September 18, 2020
London’s Royal Court Theatre has announced that it will reopen its doors in November with the first of six editions of a living newspaper. Each edition will be created and edited by a collective of writers and freelance artists, including actors, designers, stage managers, technicians and choreographers.
Made up of headlines, features and columns, the living newspaper will be performed in spaces around the Royal Court building, and will be available to watch live at the theatre or online. Some of the content will include satire of the week’s events, long-form think pieces, weekly dating columns, cartoons, the world in pictures, sports and a surprise theatre supplement.
The Living Newspaper project draws on the radical history of the Federal Theatre Project of the US, which aimed to mobilise unemployed artists and theatre workers following the Great Depression. Through topical plays commissioned under the umbrella of Living Newspaper, the project was disruptive and responsive and contributed to the development of well-known American voices.
As part of the announcement, the Royal Court reassured audience members that all live performances will be carbon net zero, continuing the theatre’s work towards curtailing the climate crisis.
From 12 November, performances will take place from 11am to 11pm, Thursday to Saturday. All performances will be accessible and extra safety measures will be in place. Tickets go on sale in late October.