The Royal Court Theatre has announced the full line-up for its third Open Submissions Festival, running from 14–18 September 2026 in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs as part of the theatre’s 70th anniversary season.
The five-play festival has been selected from nearly 4,000 scripts received through the Royal Court’s year-round Open Submissions Portal and is presented in partnership with Character 7. The Royal Court describes the festival as a week of staged readings giving audiences an early look at new work being developed through its open submissions programme.
Latest Update
The Royal Court’s current website and booking listings confirm that the Autumn Open Submissions Festival runs from Monday 14 to Friday 18 September 2026, with one play presented each evening. Press information supplied for the festival lists tickets at £8.50.
Festival Line-Up
- 14 September: Aunties in the USSR by Rebecca Banatvala, directed by Mayaan Haputantri
- 15 September: The Nine of Swords by Eoghan Quinn, directed by Aaliyah McKay
- 16 September: The Honour Table by Selorm Adonu, directed by Aneesha Srinivasan
- 17 September: My Son, the Guillotine by Sam Ward, directed by Danielle Kassaraté
- 18 September: Theertham by Nayantara Nayar, directed by Nico Rao Pimparé
Why See It
The festival is built around discovering new writing and giving audiences an early look at work from emerging and developing playwrights. The Royal Court’s Open Submissions Festivals are designed as a gateway for new work, including plays that may later be considered for future programming, so this is a particularly interesting week for anyone who likes seeing new writing at an early stage.
Dates, Venue & Tickets
Dates: 14–18 September 2026
Time: 7.45pm each evening
Venue: Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, London SW1W 8AS
Tickets: £8.50. Writers’ Card members can access 20% off, and a multi-buy discount reduces each ticket by £1.50 when booking more than one performance; offers cannot be combined.
The Royal Court’s official listings currently include all five festival dates. Check the Royal Court’s current What’s On page for availability before travelling, and read the theatre’s official festival announcement for the full programme.
Accessibility
The festival announcement does not list specific captioned, audio-described or relaxed performances for these staged readings. Contact the Royal Court box office on 020 7565 5000 or email boxoffice@royalcourttheatre.com before booking if you need access seating or specific arrangements.
More Theatre on Clarissa’s Corner
Continue with my Royal Court archive guide to Scenes from a Repatriation, or explore more upcoming work in the Autumn 2026 theatre guide. Earlier Open Submissions Festival coverage remains preserved separately as part of the site archive.
Press information supplied by the Royal Court Theatre / Bread & Butter PR, 1 September 2026. Current dates and line-up checked against the Royal Court Theatre website on 2 September 2026.
