Erica Whyman News

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and Theatre Partners announce the Judging panel for the nationwide playwriting competition 37 Plays: an ambitious and ground-breaking new initiative open to anybody from anywhere in the UK. More than 2,000+ plays were submitted and have been read by a panel of 24 readers recruited from across the UK. 

What’s in a name? That which we call William, Hamlet or Anne still smells as sweet when we see their historical origins in this adaptation by Lolita Chakrabarti of Maggie O’Farrell’s 2020 novel.

Last night (Wednesday 12 April), the Royal Shakespeare Company and Neal Street Productions, in association with Hera Pictures, welcomed special guests to the world stage premiere of Hamnet, which opened its sold-out run in the newly restored Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon. See photos from inside opening night!

The stage production of Hamnet will transfer direct to London's Garrick Theatre this autumn after selling out ahead of its world premiere at the newly restored Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon this April.  

Emerging  playwright Roxy Cook was announced today as the winner of the 2023 Theatre503 International Playwriting Award for her first play A Woman Walks Into a Bank. Roxy accepted the Award from Erica Whyman, Chair of the Award Judging Panel at an event taking place in the shell of the 503Studio at Nine Elms, which will become a world-class centre for debut playwrights.

Five outstanding new writers from the UK, US and Eastern Europe are the finalists for the 2023 Theatre503 International Playwriting Award. Olga Braga, Georgia Bruce, Roxy Cook, Charlotte Cromie, and Nia Akilah Robinson's plays were chosen from 1,466 scripts sent in from 49 countries.

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and Neal Street Productions, in association with Hera Pictures, have announced casting for the world-premiere of Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti and directed by RSC Acting Artistic Director Erica Whyman. 

The Royal Shakespeare Company will run a Warm Hub in the foyer of The Other Place, home of the Company’s studio theatre, on Southern Lane in Stratford-upon-Avon, every Tuesday, 2-5pm between 10 January and 28 March.

As the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) celebrates the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's First Folio in 2023, the Company today announced the opening of submissions for its new nationwide playwriting competition 37 Plays: an ambitious and ground-breaking new initiative open to anybody from anywhere in the UK.

The Gate Theatre has announced the appointment of Nicola Clements as its new Executive Director and CEO. Nicola joined the Gate in November, succeeding Shawab Iqbal who stepped down to start a new position as Executive Director at Leeds Playhouse.

Tyrell Williams has been announced as the recipient of the 53rd George Devine Award for his play Red Pitch, picking up a £15,000 prize in support of his future as a playwright. 

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and Neal Street Productions, in association with Hera Pictures, have announced the world-premiere stage production of Maggie O'Farrell's Hamnet adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti.

Erica Whyman, Acting Artistic Director, has announced details of the Royal Shakespeare Company's artistic programme for 2023.

The RSC has announced that Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey, will be the Co-Artistic Directors of the Royal Shakespeare Company taking up the post from June 2023. 

Following a long search for more accessible premises, the Gate Theatre has announced that it will be moving to a new theatre space in Camden in July 2022.

The Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Richard III, starring Arthur Hughes, is to be screened to cinemas nationwide. This will be the first time the organisation has broadcast a production to UK cinemas since before the pandemic. 

Originally scheduled for a 2020 run, The Merchant of Venice 1936 has successfully weathered the pandemic!  It is to premiere in Spring 2023, in a partnership between Watford Palace Theatre and Trafalgar Entertainment, supported by the Royal Shakespeare Company with a research and development period earlier this year. 

The Royal Shakespeare Company has released the new concept trailer for the upcoming global premiere of the stage adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbour Totoro.

The world premiere of the stage adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbour Totoro which will open at the Barbican for a strictly limited run this autumn in collaboration with Improbable and Nippon TV.

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) announced that Gregory Doran will step down as Artistic Director from today after 35 years with the Company including the last ten years as Artistic Director.