Keeping it Real

I've written an article about the Royal Court and realism. It's for Contemporary Theatre Review's companion website. Vicky Angelaki and I ran a day-conference at the Royal Court on the work of Martin Crimp to concede with the production of his In the Republic of Happiness and now a selection of essays has emerged from that day in a special issue of CTR. There are some companion pieces on the website, including a witty pastiche essay by Aleks Sierz, something on translation by Elisabeth Angel-Perez and a video of Crimp and George Benjamin discussing the opera, Written on Skin.

My piece tries to argue that the Court's supposed realism is poorly understood. First, because it has a very strong counter-tradition of formally experimental work. Second, because realism is a slippery word - and I try to specify the nature of its commitment to realism.

You can read it here. 

Many thanks to Elyssa Livergant and Theron Schmidt for their sensitive editorial work.