Caryl Churchill author page

Caryl Churchill biography

Caryl Churchill is a British playwright known for her innovative contributions to contemporary theatre. She studied English at Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford. Churchill’s early work included radio and television plays for the BBC, such as The Ants (1962) and Not, Not, Not, Not Enough Oxygen (1971).

Her first stage play, Owners, was produced in 1972 at the Royal Court Theatre. Churchill became resident dramatist at the Royal Court Theatre from 1974 to 1975. She is recognised for her experimental approach to structure and language, as seen in Cloud Nine (1979), which explores themes of gender and colonialism, and Top Girls (1982), which examines women’s roles in society. Top Girls won the Obie Award for Best Play in 1983.

Churchill’s later works include Serious Money (1987), a satire on the financial world, which won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play. Other notable plays are A Number (2002), which addresses human cloning, and Love and Information (2012), which consists of over fifty short scenes exploring knowledge and communication.

Her plays have been produced internationally and translated into multiple languages. Churchill has received numerous awards, including the Society of Authors’ Award and the Evening Standard Award for Best Play. In 2019, she was awarded the European Theatre Prize for her body of work.

Her play Escaped Alone premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in 2016.