Erica Whyman

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has announced that Catherine Mallyon will step down as Executive Director, leaving the Company at Christmas 2023, after eleven years in post. Catherine’s final day will be Friday 22 December. 

Theatre503 has announced the appointment of Emily Carewe as its new Executive Director. She will take up the position at the start of October. Learn more about Emily here!

A 6 week extension has been announced for the West End transfer of Maggie O'Farrell's Hamnet, adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti (Life of Pi) and directed by Erica Whyman.  Learn more about the show, as well as the full cast, here!

Casting has been announced for the Royal Shakespeare Company's forthcoming production of Charlie Josephine's new play, Cowbois. 

The cast has just been announced for the West End transfer of Hamnet, directed by Erica Whyman and adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti. Check out who will join the company here!

400 years after Shakespeare's First Folio was published, the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has partnered with Arts&Heritage to examine the 1623 collection of comedies, tragedies and histories from the perspectives of refugees living in Stratford-upon-Avon today.

Erica Whyman has announced details of her final season of work as Acting Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) ahead of her stepping down this month. 

This hotly anticipated new play based on Maggie O’Farrell’s best-selling novel, adapted by award-winning playwright Lolita Chakrabarti and directed by Royal Shakespeare Company Acting Artistic Director Erica Whyman, transfers direct from Stratford-upon-Avon to London’s Garrick Theatre for 14 weeks only from 30 September 2023.

The Royal Shakespeare Company has announced details of the final 37 Plays selected for its nationwide playwriting search: an ambitious new initiative open to anybody from anywhere in the UK.

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.