On Thursday 27 August 2026, we marked the 80th anniversary of the birth of radical theatre maker Buzz Goodbody - the RSC's first female Director and visionary Director of The Other Place - with a day of events that celebrated her extraordinary life and legacy.  

The day-long showcase event, which also rounded off our 79th annual Summer School, saw RSC alumni and special guests from across the industry come together at The Other Place for inspirational panel discussions and specialist talks reflecting upon Buzz’s contribution to world theatre-making.

Among those taking part were author and journalist John Goodbody, brother to Buzz Goodbody, actor Louise Jameson, Honorary Associate Director Ron Daniels, Director and Associate Artist Elizabeth Freestone, celebrated playwright and Honorary Associate Artist David Edgar and Professor Abigail Rokison-Woodall.

In celebration of this important milestone in the history of the RSC, we also made Buzz Goodbody’s 1973 Manifesto public for the first time. The Buzz Goodbody Manifesto was written for the then Artistic Director Trevor Nunn and outlines Buzz’s vision for a new, permanent theatre called The Studio in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Inspired by the revolutionary spirit of the alternative theatre movements occurring throughout Britain during the 1970s and fuelled by Buzz’s artistic vision, the manifesto sets out Buzz’s ambitions for an experimental theatre space which ran on small production budgets, served the local community and schools and challenged actors with new ways of working.

READ THE FULL MANIFESTO

The event also featured a series of talks exploring David Edgar’s seminal drama Destiny, which premiered at The Other Place in 1976, including a panel discussion on the history of politically engaged theatre making at the RSC, featuring David Edgar, Director Seán Linnen, Penny Cherns and, award-winning Playwright Tanika Gupta.

Extracts from Destiny were read by RSC actors, and the original production and BBC Play for Today version were discussed by academic Dr Tom May, RSC Director Ron Daniels and television and film director Mike Newell.

David Edgar’s Destiny first premiered at The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon in September 1976 under RSC Artistic Director Trevor Nunn, with Ian McDiarmid, Michael Pennington, Bob Beck, John Nettles, Greg Hicks and Cherie Lunghi among the cast. The production later transferred to the Aldwych and was subsequently adapted and broadcast by the BBC as a Play for Today.

Widely regarded as one of the most influential political plays of the 1970s, the play explores the increasing influence of the National Front in British politics and was described by The Guardian’s Michael Billington's "a play that is something more than skilful and well-written. It is one that is actually necessary".