Abstract

This article re-visits what should be regarded as the first attempt to bring a new generation of young playwrights to the Royal Court, through the Writers’ Group in 1958, and place the group’s inception, methodology and legacy within the contemporary context of the Young Writers’ Programme. The article draws on existing
information on the first Writers’ Group and combines it with original insights from theatre practitioners who have worked closely with the Royal Court such as William Gaskill (Artistic Director 1965-1969), Ola Animashawun (Director of the Young Writers’ Programme 1998-2008), and Simon Stephens (Young Writers’ Programme Writers’ Tutor 2001-2005) to create a new analysis of the Royal Court’s long association with young writers.