Royal Court Theatre Unveils 2027 Season with Jessie Buckley, Complicité and More

The Royal Court Theatre has announced its 2027 season, with general sale opening at noon on 4 November 2026. In the Downstairs Theatre, the season opens on 16 January 2027 with 'Purpose' by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins — the 2025 Tony Award winner for best Broadway play — about three generations of a privileged Black family snowed in together. Directed by Phylicia Rashad for the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, it brings virtually the entire original US cast, four of whom were Tony-nominated for their roles. On 19 March, 'The Apology' — a world premiere by V (aka Eve Ensler) — is a fictionalised account of Ensler's deceased father apologising for the abuse she suffered, with Tobias Menzies in that role, produced by Complicité and directed by Simon McBurney. On 14 May, 'The Briar Patch' by Ciara Elizabeth Smyth stars Juliet Stevenson and marks artistic director David Byrne's own Downstairs directorial debut. In the Upstairs Theatre, Alex Medland's debut play 'We're Going to Kill Billy' (18 Feb) follows four teenage girls who kidnap a billionaire developer's grandson to halt a marina project; 'War Face' (22 Apr) features serving and retired soldiers, including from the nearby Royal Hospital Chelsea, reflecting on military life; and Benjamin Kuffuor's 'Working Men' (4 Jun) explores the cost of living crisis on a council estate. The announcement also includes Nina Segal's 'Afterbirth', starring Jessie Buckley, which opens on 15 January 2028. The autumn 2027 programme will be announced separately in around six months.