Caryl Churchill

Caryl Churchill was born in London, England, but from the age of ten was raised in Montreal, Quebec. Churchill returned to England to attend Lady Margaret Hall, a women’s college at Oxford University. There, Churchill began writing plays, and had several performed by Oxford students. After graduation, Churchill married, and began writing short radio dramas for BBC radio while she raised her children. In the 1970s, Churchill began receiving larger attention for her work; she was appointed resident dramatist at the prestigious and experimental Royal Court Theatre in 1974, and her 1979 play, Cloud 9, received international acclaim. Top Girls, Serious Money, and The Skriker followed, and each play earned Churchill success on the global stage. Her plays use hyperrealism or surrealism to explore issues of class, gender, political corruption, and environmental destruction. Her more recent work, since the year 2000, has focused on the ways humans communicate and self-identify. In 2010, Churchill was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame; she is known the world over as one of the most prolific and intriguing contemporary playwrights in the industry.