The Royal Court Theatre has announced the full programme for its third Open Submissions Festival, which returns from 14 to 18 September 2026 as part of the venue’s 70th anniversary celebrations.
Presented in partnership with Character 7, the festival will showcase five new plays selected from the nearly 4,000 scripts submitted each year through the Royal Court’s Open Submissions Portal, which is open year-round to playwrights writing in English worldwide.
The festival takes place in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs and will feature Aunties in the USSR by Rebecca Banatvala, directed by Mayaan Haputantri; The Nine of Swords by Eoghan Quinn, directed by Aaliyah McKay; The Honour Table by Selorm Adonu, directed by Aneesha Srinivasan; My Son, the Guillotine by Sam Ward, directed by Danielle Kassaraté; and Theertham by Nayantara Nayar, directed by Nico Rao Pimparé.
The Royal Court’s Open Submissions programme remains central to the theatre’s commitment to discovering new writing, ensuring every script submitted receives a response from a member of the artistic team.
Several playwrights featured in previous festivals have gone on to receive full productions. As part of the theatre’s anniversary season, Jack Nicholls’ The Shitheads, which received an Olivier Award nomination this year, and Rhys Warrington’s Monument, which opens in December, both originated as readings in the inaugural Open Submissions Festival in 2025.
This year’s programme spans comedy, political drama, family conflict, social commentary and magical realism. Stories include a pair of Zoroastrian aunties embarking on a chaotic Soviet adventure, a Dublin tattoo studio during a solar eclipse, a family divided over an MBE, a tense reunion between a politician and her estranged son, and a community transformed by a mysterious source of water.
Gillian Greer, Associate Playwright and Senior Dramaturg, said: “I am delighted that our Open Submissions Festival continues to go from strength to strength. This is the first time we’ve hosted two festivals in one year, and the discovery of new voices shows no signs of slowing down. Dark, difficult, political, theatrical and funny – this Festival’s programme continues to prove just how much astonishing new writing for the stage is out there, just waiting to be given a platform.”
Stephen Garrett, Executive Chairman of Character 7, added: “Once again the plays selected for this season’s Open Submissions Festival are a potent and timely reminder about why we all need to fight to ensure that new voices can find a platform where spellbinding and transforming stories can be told. It’s as much a pleasure as it is an honour for Character 7 to be able to partner the Royal Court in this oh-so noble and glorious cause.”
The festival runs from 14 to 18 September, with performances beginning at 7.45pm each evening. Tickets are priced at £8.50, with discounts available for Writers’ Card members and audience members booking multiple performances.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
