Here We Go, National Theatre review: ★★★★★

Nick Hytner's swan-song at the National Theatre was a landmark new play by living legend Tom Stoppard. Maintaining this precedent for premiering new works by play-writing royalty, Rufus Norris' first season as Artistic Director continues with a short new play by Caryl Churchill, a worthy contender for the title of 'greatest living playwright' whose work was described by Norris as "exquisite examples of the art".

Caryl Churchill Plays, 2015: revivals and premieres

This new play comes after three blockbuster Caryl Chruchill revivals, showing her scope and enduring influence. 2015 has seen grand scale historical epic A Light Shining in Buckinghamshire opening Norris' new season at the National, chilling two-hander A Number marrying science fiction and reality at the Young Vic, and a powerful celebration of women's voices as Maxine Peake stars in The Striker revival in Manchester. Not to mention the excitement of a new full length play coming to the The Royal Court.

Here We Go: new play

A new Caryl Churchill play is always a big event. Her most recent premiere, Love and Information (Royal Court, 2012) showed that, at 77, she's as trail-blazing as ever. Despite an aversion to the spotlight, her influence and presence in the theatre is supreme.

We can't tell you what to except with Here We Go; it only takes the briefest familiarity with Churchill's prolific output to realise that this playwright has no set piece.

We know it will be a short play, but aside from themes of death, a funeral parlour setting and plenty of questions, there are few details about Here We Go. Director Dominic Cooke has said that the new play is “startling in the way it uses very fresh forms”.

Formal experimentation is what sets Churchill apart from other playwrights. The shape and form of Churchill's plays grows from the theme and narrative. As the first playwright to use overlapping dialogue, she has a deserved reputation for non-naturalistic scenarios that push the boundaries of precedent and expectation. And whether putting feminism in Top Girls in the spotlight or satirising the stock exchange (Serious Money), Churchill’s mastery of the genre lies in her ability to create an entire world in a moment.

From Royal Court to National Theatre: director Dominic Cooke

Former Artistic Director of the Royal Court Dominic Cooke has experience in Churchill's innovative forms and in the challenge of directing her short plays, having previously brought radio play Identical Twins, the surreal This is a Chair and the divisive Seven Jewish Children to the stage. With a talent for supporting bold new writing that has won him numerous trophies, a CBE, Dominic Cooke's first directing role as Associate Director of the National Theatre is set to bring 'startling' innovation the National's Lyttleton theatre.