Emma Rice

Last updated

Emma Rice
Born
Emma Juliet Rice

1967 (age 57–58)
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]
946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips 2017Adapter/DirectorKneehigh TheatreBased on the book by Michael Morpurgo ( The Amazing 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.

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". 27 June 2017.
  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". The Times . 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 (22 October 2021). "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. 23 May 2017. 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.
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