Royal Court Theatre to stage play set in orbit around Pluto

“Alistair chose Pluto as it’s less glamorous. It’s not even officially a planet anymore. Mars is the sexy one"

Alistair McDowall's 'X' is set on a space station orbiting Pluto (Corbis)

As part of its 60th anniversary celebrations next year, the Royal Court Theatre is to stage new works including a drama about four older women by Caryl Churchill and the first play to be set in orbit around Pluto.

X is set on a space station orbiting the dwarf planet. Written by Alistair McDowall it follows the fortunes of the crew on the vessel that has lost contact with earth.

Royal Court artistic director Vicky Featherstone said: “Alistair chose Pluto as it’s less glamorous. It’s not even officially a planet anymore. Mars is the sexy one. There’s a funny line in the play: ‘The Americans went to Mars, it’s typical the English are stuck on a space station outside Pluto’.”

It is due to open at the Royal Court’s Jerwood Theatre in March and Ms Featherstone, who is directing it, is yet to decide how to portray a space station onstage admitting science fiction was “notoriously difficult” in theatre.

Next year’s season will include Escaped Alone by Caryl Churchill, which provides four lead roles for women in their late 60s and 70s.

Ms Featherstone said: “There’s something very interesting that Caryl has written a play for four women in her age range. The thing I find incredible about that play is the dramatic simplicity.”

Other works to be staged include South African playwright Mongiwekhaya’s debut I See You about post-Apartheid South Africa as well as Charlene James’ play Cuttin’ It, about FGM in Britain.

There will also be a new work called Ophelia’s Zimmer, performed in German, focusing on the perspective of the tragic figure from Hamlet. Father Comes Home From the Wars (Parts 1,2 &3) by Suzan-Lori Parks follows a slave in 1862 West Texas, whose master promises him freedom if he fights for the Confederacy in the Civil War.