Royal Court Theatre & Jerwood Foundation Name First Commissioning Scheme Recipients

The Royal Court, in partnership with Jerwood Foundation, has announced the recipients of the inaugural Jerwood Royal Court Commissioning Scheme - igniting and underwriting brand new commissions for original plays with venues and producers across the UK.

In its first-ever funding round, six grants of up to £6,000 each have been awarded jointly to playwrights and producers who applied through the open-access national Scheme. Designed to invest in a pipeline of ambitious and risk-taking new theatre and encourage producers backing original work, grants will underwrite the signature fee for a new play commission belonging to the producer and writer.

Reaching a diverse cohort of exceptional writers, and with producers across the country from major national playhouses to independent touring companies, the 2026 recipients are: Tonderai Munyevu with York Theatre Royal, Simon Longman with Kestrel Theatre, Harry Mould with Traverse Theatre, Christine Entwisle with Shared Experience, Anjeli Chapman with Tamasha and Shahid Iqbal Khan with Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse.

Launched this year for the Royal Court's 70th anniversary, for its inaugural round the Scheme received 136 applications, each in partnership between a playwright and producer - with 12 shortlisted for interview by a panel including representatives from Jerwood Foundation and the Royal Court's artistic leadership. The second round of applications, for grants in 2027, will also be announced later this year.

Royal Court Executive Director, Will Young said: ‘We're delighted to announce the first recipients for our game-changing new Jerwood Royal Court Commissioning Scheme. The quality and breadth of applications was exceptional, reflecting the huge amounts of new writing talent and creative energy across British theatre - and generating heated debate for the shortlisting and selection panels. We know the decisions will only get tougher each year as we grow this programme annually - providing a long-term engine for investment in bold, original new theatre. Now we just can't wait to see the plays come to life and meet audiences across the country.'

Lara Wardle, Executive Director and Trustee, Jerwood Foundation said: “Jerwood support of the Jerwood Royal Court Commissioning Scheme builds on a long-standing relationship with The Royal Court Theatre and underlines our ongoing commitment to excellence and emerging talent in the arts. I am delighted that, in its inaugural year, this new national programme will enable six new commissions across the UK and provide opportunities for risk-taking and ambition to flourish.”

A new, annual open-access national fund designed to unlock risk and investment in commissioning new plays, the Jerwood Royal Court Commissioning Scheme marks a new era for the two organisations' long-standing partnership, and a major expansion in the Court's approach to playwright support – looking beyond its own stages to share resources nationwide.

The Scheme is also supported by the Writers' Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) to ensure fair terms for commissioned writers on agreements. Grants from the Jerwood Royal Court Commissioning Scheme cover the non-recoupable first payments for six new play commissions per year, on at least WGGB minimum rates. By awarding funds at this point, the Scheme will unlock the first step in commissioning and underwrite financial risk, while encouraging theatres and producers to commit future investment towards completing commissions and undertaking full production.