The Royal Court Theatre has named David Byrne, the artistic director and chief executive of the New Diorama Theatre, as its new artistic director. His plan, he says, is to support theatremakers to “take big swings”.
This is a huge moment: the award-winning playwright and director has been with the New Diorama from the theatre’s beginning in 2010, helming the 80-seat playhouse is it transformed from obscure independent theatre to a pioneering studio.
“Becoming the artistic director of the Royal Court is an honour, a privilege, and is going to be the adventure of a lifetime. I can’t wait to get started,” said Byrne.
“At its founding, George Devine imagined the Royal Court to be where ‘the experimentalists of the modern era could be seen’, often ‘in advance of public taste.’ For over a decade at New Diorama, I’ve embraced those ideals, seeking out and supporting the boldest and most exhilarating artists so that, together, we could re-write the theatre rule book.
“In this new role, I’m excited to continue working in service of the playwrights and artists raring to take big swings.”
Under Byrne, the New Diorama Theatre has become one of London’s most important theatres, winning over a dozen awards for both its programming and support schemes. These include The Stage Fringe Theatre of the Year, which it has won several times, and the inaugural Critic’s Circle Peter Brook Empty Space prize this year.
Also this year, two of the New Diorama’s shows, Operation Mincemeat and For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy, transferred to West End (For Black Boys... first transferred to the Royal Court from the NDT in 2022): the Standard subsequently ran a piece describing the playhouse as “the most important theatre in London you’ve never heard of.”
“We are thrilled that David will be our next artistic director,” said the Royal Court’s chair, Anthony Burton. “As the founding artistic director of New Diorama, he has led it with huge success, nurturing and developing new writers and producing award winning work on international and national stages. He has a reputation for artistic excellence, creative disruption and innovation in artist support.”
New Diorama tweeted: “After 13 incredible years our Artistic Director @mrdavebyrne is leaving NDT to be Artistic Director @royalcourt. During his tenure, David redefined what is possible in a studio theatre, supporting tens of thousands of artists, producing hundreds of shows. A huge moment for NDT.”
Byrne will be replacing Vicky Featherstone who has been artistic director of the theatre since 2013. He is set to take over the position at the beginning of 2024.
Byrne is also an award-winning playwright whose works include an adaptation of George Orwell’s Down and Out in Paris and London (2015), new play Secret Life of Humans (2017), and The Incident Room (2019) which was co-written with Olivia Hirst, all of which transferred Off-Broadway from the Edinburgh Fringe.
He has been behind a number of important theatre initiatives including NDT Broadgate, a large free to use rehearsal space created to support independent artists during and after the pandemic. The space, which Stephen Fry called “A generous and essential project” welcomed 8,500 artists from August 2021 to July 2022.
