Purpose

Purpose description

Purpose is Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' drama about a prominent Black American political family whose secrets come out when a snowstorm traps them under one roof.

From civil rights leaders to pastors and congressmen, the Jasper family has long been a pillar of Black American politics, and it has a reputation to protect. When a snowstorm keeps three generations together under one roof, secrets that have been kept for years begin to surface. The play is a portrait of a family struggling to live up to its own legacy.

The play won the 2025 Tony Award for Best Play and the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It comes to the Royal Court Theatre's Jerwood Theatre Downstairs straight from Broadway for its European premiere, in the Steppenwolf Theatre Company production. The Washington Post called it "a densely packed powder keg of a play", and The New York Times described it as "a merciless dissection of hypocrisy".

The play is written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, whose earlier plays include Appropriate and An Octoroon, and directed by Phylicia Rashad, the Tony Award-winning actor known for Grey's Anatomy. The production comes from Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the ensemble behind August: Osage County and Downstate, and is presented by the Royal Court Theatre with David Stone, Debra Martin Chase, Marc Platt and Robyn Coles.

Five members of the original Broadway company come to London: LaTanya Richardson Jackson (To Kill a Mockingbird), Harry Lennix (Justice League), Alana Arenas (David Makes Man), Glenn Davis (Downstate) and Jon Michael Hill (Pass Over). They are joined by Kalyne Coleman (Interview with the Vampire).

Book now for the Tony and Pulitzer-winning play about a family, its legacy and the secrets it keeps.

Playing at Royal Court Theatre

Sloane Square, London, SW1W 8AS GB (venue info)

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