Emma Rice

Last updated

Emma Rice
Born
Emma Juliet Rice

1967 (age 56–57)
Oxfordshire, England
Occupation(s) Director, Actress, Writer
Known for Kneehigh Theatre,
Shakespeare's Globe,
Wise Children

Emma Juliet Rice [1] (born August 1967) is a British actor, director and writer. Hailed as a fearless director, [2] Rice's work includes theatrical adaptations of Brief Encounter , The Red Shoes and Wise Children . In 2022, Rice was named in the Sky Arts Top 50 most influential British artists. [3] Rice worked with Kneehigh Theatre [4] in Cornwall for twenty years as an actor, director, then artistic director with co-artistic director, Mike Shepherd. She was the Artistic Director of Shakespeare's Globe from 2016 to 2018, before founding her own touring theatre company Wise Children. [5] [6]

Contents

Early life

Rice was born in Oxfordshire, England, [7] and grew up in Nottingham, where her mother was a social worker and her father was a lecturer in personnel management. [8] After studying English and Stage Design at Harrington College [9] Rice went on to study acting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. [4]

Career

After graduating from Guildhall, Rice spent eight years working with Alibi Theatre, performing theatre that emphasised storytelling. [9] Alongside touring the UK and performing to children and communities with Alibi, Rice developed her craft, training in Poland, with Gardzienice, a company founded by Włodzimierz Staniewski. [8]

In 1994, Rice joined the Cornish theatre company, Kneehigh, as a performer. [10] After taking on increasing creative responsibilities, [9] Kneehigh Artistic directors Bill Mitchell and Mike Shepherd encouraged her to direct [11] and her first production, The Itch, was staged in 1999. [9] As a director, Rice says that her long-running production of The Red Shoes represented the point in her career when she came into her own. [11] [12] Rice went on to become the Artistic Director of Kneehigh, alongside Mike Shepherd, and under their stewardship Kneehigh produced a plethora of adaptations and original work, including Tristan and Yseult, The Bacchae and a 'seedy, dreamy' take on Angela Carter's Nights at the Circus. [13] While Rice's work did not always appease critics, Kneehigh's 'visually stunning, inventive, often subversive and unashamedly populist' shows toured in the UK and internationally. [9]

In 2015, it was announced that Rice would take over from Dominic Dromgoole as artistic director of Shakespeare's Globe, [10] [14] with Rice applying for the role despite stating: "I have tried to sit down with Shakespeare but it doesn’t work... I get very sleepy and then suddenly I want to listen to The Archers." [15] After a summer season that included Rice's A Midsummer Night's Dream and 'exceptionally strong' box office returns, [16] it was announced in October 2016 that Rice would leave the Globe in April 2018. The announcement followed a decision by the theatre's board, which cited concerns over authenticity and her use of lighting technology [16] [17] after she steadfastly refused to abide by the Globe's founding principles of “shared light" and non-amplified sound. [18] Previous Artistic Director Dominic Dromgoole disagreed with Rice's attempts to move away from this traditional "shared light" – in which the actors and audience are in the same light – which he said was "at the heart of her disagreements with colleagues and the board". [19] Her final Shakespeare production at the Globe was Twelfth Night , which received middling reviews, [20] [21] with the Arts Desk stating the production "ends up giving two fingers to Shakespeare, which rather makes the board’s case for them." [22]

In 2017, Rice announced her new touring theatre company, Wise Children. [6] Standard Issue Magazine made her their woman of the year in 2016 for "her fearlessness, leadership, innovation and bravery". [2] Wise Children was accepted into Arts Council England’s group of regularly supported organisations and allocated annual funding of £475,000 from 2018. This was not without controversy however; Christy Romer, a journalist for Arts Professional, said that allowing Wise Children into the Arts Council’s national portfolio despite its lack of any track record "makes a mockery of the entire arts funding system". [23]

During the COVID-19 pandemic Rice's Wise Children live streamed a fully staged production to a global audience with their production of Romantics Anonymous which had been due to tour the US prior to the pandemic. [24] [25] [26] Alongside the live streams Rice also presents a podcast series looking behind the scenes of her work and process [27]

In 2021, Rice directed an adaptation of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights that toured at Bristol Old Vic and Theare Royal Brighton, receiving mixed [28] [29] [30] to positive [31] [32] [33] reviews from critics.

Emma Rice Production Credits
ProductionsYear Of Originating ProductionRoleProduction CompanyNotes
The Itch [34] 1999Director/PerformerKneehigh Theatre
The Red Shoes2000Adapter/DirectorKneehigh TheatreThis production has had numerous revivals
Cry Wolf2001PerformerKneehigh Theatre
Pandora's Box2002Adapter/Performer/DirectorKneehigh Theatre
Tristan & Yseult [35] 2003Adapter/Performer/DirectorKneehigh TheatreThis production has had numerous revivals
The Wooden Frock2004Adapter/Performer/DirectorKneehigh Theatre
The Bacchae2005Adaptor/DirectorKneehigh Theatre
Nights At The Circus2006Adapter/DirectorKneehigh Theatre
Cymbeline [36] 2006Director/PerformerKneehigh Theatre
Rapunzel2006DirectorKneehigh Theatre
A Matter Of Life & Death2007Adapter/DirectorNational Theatre
Brief Encounter2007Adapter/DirectorDavid Pugh and Dafydd Rogers/Kneehigh TheatreThis production has had numerous revivals
Don John [37] 2008Adapter/DirectorKneehigh Theatre/RSC
The Wild Bride2011Adapter/DirectorKneehigh Theatre
Midnight's Pumpkin2011Adapter/DirectorKneehigh Theatre
Steptoe & Son [38] 2012Adapter/DirectorKneehigh Theatre
Rebecca [39] [40] 2015Adapter/DirectorDavid Pugh and Dafydd Rogers/Kneehigh Theatre
The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg [41] 2011Director
Oedipussy [42] 2012DirectorSpyMonkey
The Empress [43] 2013DirectorRSCA Play by Tanika Gupta
The Flying Lovers Of Vitebsk2016DirectorKneehigh TheatreBased on a play by Daniel Jamieson & Emma Rice (The Birthday) [44]
9462017Adapter/DirectorKneehigh TheatreBased on the book by Michael Morpurgo (The Story of Adolphus Tips) [45]
A Midsummer Night's Dream [46] 2016DirectorShakespeare's GlobeAlso broadcast by the BBC [47]
Wah Wah Girls [48] 2015DirectorSadlers WellsA Play by Tanika Gupta, music by Niraj Chag [49]
Twelfth Night2017DirectorShakespeare's Globe
The Little Match Girl2017DirectorShakespeare's Globe
Romantics Anonymous2016DirectorShakespeare's GlobeAdapted and directed by Emma Rice with music by Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond
Wise Children [50] 2018Adapter/DirectorWise ChildrenA co-production with The Old Vic London, Bristol Old Vic & York Theatre Royal. Based on the novel by Angela Carter. This production was also filmed for cinema release and broadcast by the BBC. [51]
Bagdad Cafe2021Adapter/DirectorWise ChildrenA co-production with The Old Vic London based on the film by Percy Adlon. [52] This production was also Live Streamed as part of the Old Vic In Camera series.
Malory Towers2019Adapter/DirectorWise ChildrenBased on the books of Enid Blyton. A co-production with David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers
Wuthering Heights2021Adapter/DirectorWise ChildrenBased on the novel by Emily Bronté. This production has been filmed for Sky Arts.
Blue Beard2024Adapter/DirectorWise ChildrenA co-production with Birmingham Rep, HOME Manchester, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, and York Theatre Royal, [53] based on the French folktale.

Related Research Articles

<i>Wuthering Heights</i> 1847 novel by Emily Brontë

Wuthering Heights is the only novel by the English author Emily Brontë, initially published in 1847 under her pen name "Ellis Bell". It concerns two families of the landed gentry living on the West Yorkshire moors, the Earnshaws and the Lintons, and their turbulent relationships with the Earnshaws' foster son, Heathcliff. The novel was influenced by Romanticism and Gothic fiction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ralph Fiennes</span> English actor (born 1962)

Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes is an English actor, film producer, and director. He graduated from RADA in 1985. A Shakespeare interpreter, Fiennes excelled onstage at the Royal National Theatre before having further success at the Royal Shakespeare Company. Widely regarded as one of Britain's most well-known and popular actors, he has received various accolades, including a BAFTA Award and a Tony Award, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards and an Emmy Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brontë family</span> 19th-century literary family

The Brontës were a nineteenth-century literary family, born in the village of Thornton and later associated with the village of Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. The sisters, Charlotte (1816–1855), Emily (1818–1848) and Anne (1820–1849), are well-known poets and novelists. Like many contemporary female writers, they published their poems and novels under male pseudonyms: Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell. Their stories attracted attention for their passion and originality immediately following their publication. Charlotte's Jane Eyre was the first to know success, while Emily's Wuthering Heights, Anne's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and other works were accepted as masterpieces of literature after their deaths.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emily Watson</span> English actress (born 1967)

Emily Margaret Watson is a British actress. She began her career on stage and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1992. In 2002, she starred in productions of Twelfth Night and Uncle Vanya at the Donmar Warehouse, and was nominated for the 2003 Olivier Award for Best Actress for the latter. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her debut film role as Bess McNeil in Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves (1996) and for her role as Jacqueline du Pré in Hilary and Jackie (1998), winning the British Independent Film Award for Best Actress for the latter. For her role as Margaret Humphreys in Oranges and Sunshine (2010), she was also nominated for the AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shakespeare's Globe</span> Theatre in London, England

Shakespeare's Globe is a reconstruction of the Globe Theatre, an Elizabethan playhouse first built in 1599 for which William Shakespeare wrote his plays. Like the original, it is located on the south bank of the River Thames, in Southwark, London. The reconstruction was completed in 1997 and while concentrating on Shakespeare's work also hosts a variety of other theatrical productions. Part of the Globe's complex also hosts the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse for smaller, indoor productions, in a setting which also recalls the period.

Kneehigh Theatre was an international touring theatre company founded in 1980 by Mike Shepherd and based in Cornwall, England. The company was based in barns on the southern Cornish coast, at Gorran Haven, but the administration was in Truro. On 3 June 2021, Kneehigh announced it would close.

Dominic Marsh is an English theatre, television, and film actor.

<i>Wuthering Heights</i> (2011 film) 2011 British film

Wuthering Heights is a 2011 British Gothic romantic drama film directed by Andrea Arnold starring Kaya Scodelario as Catherine Earnshaw and James Howson as Heathcliff. The screenplay written by Arnold and Olivia Hetreed, is based on Emily Brontë's 1847 novel of the same name.

Michelle Terry is an Olivier Award–winning English actress and writer, known for her extensive work for Shakespeare's Globe, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre, as well as her television work, notably writing and starring in the Sky One television series The Café. Terry took up the role of artistic director at Shakespeare's Globe in April 2018.

<i>Wuthering Heights</i> (1920 film) 1920 film

Wuthering Heights is a 1920 British silent drama film directed by A. V. Bramble and starring Milton Rosmer, Colette Brettel and Warwick Ward. It is the first film adaptation made of the 1847 novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, and was primarily filmed in and around her home village of Haworth. It is not known whether the film currently survives, and it is considered to be a lost film.

Tom Morris OBE is an English theatre director, writer and producer. He was the Artistic Director at BAC from 1995 to 2004, he has been Associate Director at the National Theatre since 2004 and Artistic Director of Bristol Old Vic since 2009.

Lucy Bailey is a British theatre director, known for productions such as Baby Doll at Britain's National Theatre and a notorious Titus Andronicus, described by a critic as "all eye-catchingly visceral but there’s little depth". Bailey founded the Gogmagogs theatre-music group (1995–2006) and was Artistic Director and joint founder of the Print Room theatre in West London (2010-2012). She has worked extensively with Bunny Christie and other leading stage designers, including her husband William Dudley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gísli Örn Garðarsson</span> Icelandic actor and director

Gísli Örn Garðarsson is an Icelandic actor and director. He is one of the founders of Vesturport, a theatre and film company based in Reykjavík, and is also sometimes a scriptwriter and producer. Before focusing on acting, he competed internationally as a gymnast.

Jessica Swale is a British playwright, theatre director and screenwriter. Her first play, Blue Stockings, premiered at Shakespeare's Globe in 2013. It is widely performed by UK amateur companies and is also studied on the Drama GCSE syllabus. In 2016, her play Nell Gwynn won the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, after it transferred from the Globe to the West End, starring Gemma Arterton as the eponymous heroine. She also wrote and directed the feature film Summerland (2020).

Tristan Sturrock is a British theatre, television and film actor. He has worked with the theatre company Kneehigh for 30 years. He played Colin Hedges in the drama series Bad Girls during its fifth, sixth and seventh series between 2003 and 2005, and the role of Zacky Martin in Poldark in all five seasons, which aired from 2015 to 2019 in the UK. He has performed in many productions including Brief Encounter on Broadway and Mayday, Mayday, an autobiographical solo project which he wrote and performed internationally.

Romantics Anonymous is a musical with music by Michael Kooman, lyrics by Christopher Dimond and a book by Emma Rice. It is based on the 2010 French-Belgian film Les Émotifs Anonymes by Jean-Pierre Améris and Philippe Blasband.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emma Mackey</span> British-French actress (born c. 1996)

Emma Margaret Marie Tachard-Mackey is a British and French actress. Her breakthrough performance in the Netflix comedy-drama series Sex Education (2019–2023) earned her a British Academy Television Award nomination. Mackey has since starred in the mystery film Death on the Nile (2022) and portrayed Emily Brontë in the drama film Emily (2022). She won the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2023.

<i>Emily</i> (2022 film) British film directed by Frances OConnor

Emily is a 2022 British biographical drama film written and directed by Frances O'Connor in her directorial debut. It is a part-fictional portrait of English writer Emily Brontë, concentrating on a fictional romantic relationship with the young curate William Weightman. Fionn Whitehead, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Alexandra Dowling, Amelia Gething, Adrian Dunbar and Gemma Jones also appear in supporting roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omari Douglas</span> English actor and singer (born 1994)

Omari Shaquille Douglas is an English actor. He is known for his role as Roscoe Babatunde in the Channel 4 drama It's a Sin (2021). He has received nominations for a British Academy Television Award and a Laurence Olivier Award.

Ash Hunter is a British actor known for playing Heathcliff in Emma Rice’s production of Wuthering Heights at The National Theatre in London and Alexander Hamilton in the West End musical, Hamilton. He also had recurring roles in TV series Bridgerton (Netflix), Harlots (ITV/BBC/HULU) and The Secret Agent (BBC)

References

  1. ↑ "Emma Juliet RICE – Personal Appointments (free information from Companies House)". Beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  2. 1 2 Campbell, Karen. "Woman of the Year: Emma Rice". Standard Issue Magazine. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  3. ↑ "HE'S A STARMAN! The 50 most influential British artists of the last 50 years revealed". www.skygroup.sky. 11 August 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  4. 1 2 Whitney, Hilary (16 July 2011). "theartsdesk Q&A: Director Emma Rice". theartsdesk.com. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  5. ↑ "Whats On Stage News Release".
  6. 1 2 "Playbill".
  7. ↑ "findmypast.co.uk". Search.findmypast.co.uk. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  8. 1 2 Kellaway, Kate (1 July 2018). "Emma Rice: 'I don't know how I got to be so controversial'". The Observer. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Liptrott, Josephine (13 December 2016). "BIOGRAPHY: Emma Rice – Theatre Director". The Heroine Collective. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  10. 1 2 Wiegand, Chris (1 May 2015). "Shakespeare's Globe appoints Emma Rice as new artistic director". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  11. 1 2 "Portrait of the artist: Emma Rice, artistic director". The Guardian. Interviewed by Barnett, Laura. 29 May 2012.
  12. ↑ Mahoney, Elisabeth (3 August 2010). "Review: The Red Shoes". The Guardian.
  13. ↑ Allfree, Claire (16 March 2011). "Emma Rice: The director with sky-high ambitions". The Independent. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  14. ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - Best of Today, New Globe director on changes to Shakespeare". BBC. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  15. ↑ Brown, Mark (5 January 2016). "The Globe's Emma Rice: 'If anybody bended gender it was Shakespeare'". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  16. 1 2 Brown, Mark (25 October 2016). "Emma Rice to step down as artistic director at Shakespeare's Globe". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  17. ↑ "Emma Rice: Shakespeare's Globe boss to leave over lighting row". BBC News Online . BBC. 25 October 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  18. ↑ Morrison, Richard (29 February 2024). "Globe's choice of great Shakespearean actress is a canny move". The Times. ISSN   0140-0460 . Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  19. ↑ "Shakespeare's Globe: The real-life drama that led Emma Rice to quit". BBC News. 19 April 2017. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  20. ↑ Treneman, Ann (29 February 2024). "Theatre review: Twelfth Night at Shakespeare's Globe". ISSN   0140-0460 . Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  21. ↑ Billington, Michael (25 May 2017). "Twelfth Night review – Emma Rice's Highland fling brings that sinking feeling". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  22. ↑ Coghlan, Alexandra (25 May 2017). "Twelfth Night, Shakespeare's Globe review - Emma Rice goes out with a bang". theartsdesk.com. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  23. ↑ Romer, Christy (28 July 2017). "£2m in Arts Council funding for Emma Rice's new company is everything that's wrong with the arts". ArtsProfessional. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  24. ↑ White, Jessica (20 August 2020). "Romantics Anonymous is to stream online from the Bristol Old Vic". Stage Chat. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  25. ↑ Turnbull, Greig Box (24 August 2020). "Covid-19 hit theatre musical Romantics Anonymous, returns via live stream". TicketCo UK. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  26. ↑ Morgan, Fergus (23 September 2020). "Culture in lockdown: Emma Rice – 'Running has been the only thing that has cleared my mind'". The Stage. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  27. ↑ "Wise Children on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  28. ↑ Davies, Ava Wong (7 February 2022). "National Theatre's Wuthering Heights is blustering and boisterous – review". The Independent. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  29. ↑ De Lisle, Laura (11 February 2022). "Wuthering Heights, National Theatre review - too much heat, not enough light". theartsdesk.com. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  30. ↑ Evans, Suzy (10 February 2022). "'Wuthering Heights' at the National Theatre review — Emma Rice brings humour to the Emily Brontë novel". London Theatre. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  31. ↑ Akbar, Arifa. "Wuthering Heights review – Emma Rice's audacious riff on Emily Brontë's classic | Theatre". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  32. ↑ Lukowski, Andrzej (7 February 2022). "The National Theatre's 'Wuthering Heights' is a stormy triumph". Time Out London. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  33. ↑ Curtis, Nick (7 February 2022). "Wuthering Heights review: Brontë brings joy to the National Theatre". Evening Standard. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  34. ↑ "The Itch - 1999". warwick.ac.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  35. ↑ "Mediaeval romance feels like starting over". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  36. ↑ "Cymbeline · British Universities Film & Video Council". bufvc.ac.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  37. ↑ Espiner, Mark (22 December 2008). "What to say about … Kneehigh's Don John". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  38. ↑ Gardner, Lyn (20 September 2012). "Steptoe and Son – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  39. ↑ Kneehigh Theatre, Rebecca: Directed and adapted by EMMA RICE.
  40. ↑ Gardner, Lyn (16 November 2015). "Rebecca review – Kneehigh add extra shivers to Du Maurier's chilling tale". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  41. ↑ Maxwell, Dominic (19 March 2011). "Talking to... Emma Rice on Umbrellas of Cherbourg". The Times . ISSN   0140-0460 . Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  42. ↑ "Spymonkey > OEDIPUSSY". www.spymonkey.co.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  43. ↑ "The Empress | By Tanika Gupta | Royal Shakespeare Company". www.rsc.org.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  44. ↑ Ltd, Supercool (26 August 2022). "An Interview with Daniel Jamieson and Emma Rice". Bristol Old Vic. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  45. ↑ stefanlesik (14 July 2016). "The Globe's Emma Rice and Michael Morpurgo talk 946: The Story of Adolphus Tips". Michael Morpurgo. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  46. ↑ Trueman, Matt (6 May 2016). "London Theater Review: 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Directed by Emma Rice". Variety . Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  47. ↑ "BBC - Shakespeare Lives, A Midsummer Night's Dream". BBC. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  48. ↑ "Wah! Wah! Girls". Tanika Gupta. 10 June 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  49. ↑ "WAH! WAH! GIRLS". World Stages London. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  50. ↑ "WISE CHILDREN | 2018 Production". Wise Children v3. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  51. ↑ "Emma Rice's Wise Children". The Space. 20 May 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  52. ↑ "Things to know about Bagdad Cafe - Old Vic Theatre". www.oldvictheatre.com. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  53. ↑ "Blue Beard". HOME. February 2024. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.