Contemporary Dramatists
5 total works
Sucker Punch: 'As usual with Williams, the dialogue is crisp and bespoke: motives are mixed, nobody is a hero, nothing is just black and white.' The Times
Joe Guy: 'Williams's dialogue ricochets around the stage like gunfire . . . energetic, exciting and entertaining.' Stage
Category B: 'Category B is a harrowing play, but one shot through with both dark humour and tentative flickers of hope'. Daily Telegraph
Baby Girl: 'The shocking thing about Roy Williams's Baby Girl is that it argues that there is a cyclical pattern to teenage pregnancy . . . Williams paints a rivetingly plausible picture of a world in which mothers and daughters are sexual rivals, 'virgin' is the ultimate peer insult and the school gates are a fertile hunting ground for male predators.' Guardian
There's Only One Wayne Matthews: 'Williams's writing is punchy . . . Wayne's gradual understanding of the realities of the world make this a touching coming-of-age drama.' Guardian
In his fifth collection of Plays, the work ranges from a spirited, raging drama that investigates police corruption in Jamaica through to two thrilling monologue plays written either side of the Covid-19 pandemic, first presented at London's National Theatre. The political and the personal are drawn together effectively throughout, offering a rich selection of work that showcase Williams's unique talent.
Roy Williams has been described as 'one of Britain's most important playwrights' (WhatsOnStage). His career to date has seen him win the Alfred Fagon Award, the George Devine Award, the Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright, a BAFTA Award and nominations for the Olivier Award for Best Play. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2008 and was made a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2018.
Advice for the Young at Heart (2013) "A robust and poignant piece of theatre." - A Younger Theatre
Kingston 14 (2014) "Should be lauded in staging a culture not exactly over-represented in British theatre ... convincingly suggests such tensions underpin both the island’s chaotic political situation, and the wariness between the Jamaican police and the visiting Brit." - Independent
The Firm (2018) "Williams reveals himself once more as one of the most compelling chroniclers of the complexities of masculinity in a rapidly changing world." - Arts Desk
Death of England (2020) "The most exhilarating and hair-raising drama...This is truly a play for today." - The Guardian
Death of England: Delroy (2021) " A blistering solo show sure to survive England’s second lockdown" - Variety