Tonic Theatre Announces TONIC CELEBRATES

Tonic Theatre today announces the second Tonic Celebrates event, part of a new initiative celebrating the achievements of inspirational women in theatre. On Wednesday 19 October at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, Tonic Theatre's Director Lucy Kerbel will be in conversation with new Artistic Director for Shakespeare's Globe Emma Rice, acclaimed stage, radio and television writer Tanika Gupta, and the UK's leading Fight Directors Rachel Brown-Williams & Ruth Cooper-Brown. Tickets for the event are only £10.

At each Tonic Celebrates event, the company brings together a group of remarkable women to talk about their careers, successes and inspirations. Each event is followed by a Q&A with the audience.

Lucy Kerbel said today, "Our first Tonic Celebrates event, which we held in the summer with guests Paule Constable, Indhu Rubasingham and Jessica Swale, was a huge hit. The audience told us they loved hearing from inspirational women at the top of their games so we're delighted to be holding a second event at Shakespeare's Globe where we'll celebrate more fantastic women in theatre."

Emma Rice is the new Artistic Director of Shakespeare's Globe and directed this year's productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream and 946 as part of the Globe's Wonder Season. Her first production in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse,The Little Matchgirl, opens on the 24 November. For the last 20 years she has worked for Kneehigh as an actor, director and Artistic Director. Most recently Rice has adapted and directed Rebecca (a David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers Production in association with Kneehigh)

Over the past 15 years Tanika Gupta has written over 20 stage plays, produced in major theatres across the UK. She has written over 30 radio plays for the BBC and several original television dramas, as well as scripts for EastEnders, Grange Hill and The Bill. In 2008, she was awarded an MBE for 'Services to Drama'. She is an Associate Artist at Shakespeare's Globe and worked as Dramaturg and Lyricist on Emma Rice's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Rachel Bown-Williams & Ruth Cooper-Brown are the founders of Rc-Annie, the UK's leading Dramatic Violence Company. Their work as Fight Directors has been seen in theatres across the country as well as in opera and film. They are the Fight Directors for Matthew Dunster's current Shakespeare's Globe production of Imogen.