This thorough and inclusive appraisal of the Royal Court's seven-decade journey from 1956 to today assesses how this remarkable stage company has impacted theatre and culture, nationally and internationally, as well as considering its present and future role.

Featuring interviews, primary source research and colour plate sections that capture the essence of the Court's evolution, this book measures the extent to which the Court has led the journey of British theatre, when it has followed, and if and when it has fallen out of step with broader progressions. The Royal Court has been a crucible of creativity, theatrical innovation and controversy since the premiere of John Osborne's Look Back in Anger during the theatre's debut season in 1956. Since then, from Edward Bond through Sarah Kane and into the present, the Court's performances have challenged conventions, and redefined theatre and the wider cultural landscape.

This study also gives a platform to voices critical of the Court and those who felt excluded or ignored in previous accounts of its history. By presenting a re-interpretation of primary source material and interviews, it results in a more diverse perspective on the iconic institution that has left an indelible mark on the world of theatre.

This book also features original interviews with people never before consulted on the Court's history. The interviewees encompass a wide spectrum, ranging from distinguished theatre luminaries to the present wave of contemporary theatre-makers, writers, actors, directors, theatre-goers and social commentators, who comment on what the Court has done, or not done, for them, providing a rounder history of the Court enriched by more diverse and up-to-date views.