Erica Whyman

Erica Whyman, OBE (born 27 October 1969)^[1] is a theatre director who became Deputy Artistic Director at the Royal Shakespeare Company in January 2013.^[2]

Background

Whyman was born in Harrogate, Yorkshire, but lived in Barnsley until aged eight, before her family moved to Surrey. She has a first class honours degree in French and Philosophy from Oxford. She trained in the theatre with Philippe Gaulier in Paris^[3] and then at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

In 2013, she was awarded an OBE for services to theatre in the New Year Honours List.^[4] She has a daughter, Ruby, with playwright Richard Bean.

Career

• 1997 Awarded the John S Cohen Bursary for Directors at the National Theatre Studio
• 1997 - 1998 Associate Producer of Tricycle Theatre
• 1998 - 2000 Associate Director of English Touring Theatre
• 1999 - 2001 Artistic Director Southwark Playhouse (Peter Brook Empty Space Award)
• 2001 - 2004 Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Gate Theatre
• 2004 - 2005 Fellow of the Clore Leadership Programme in the first cohort
• 2005 - 2012 Chief Executive of Northern Stage, Newcastle upon Tyne (TMA Award for Theatre Manager of the Year, 2012)
• 2013 - Deputy Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company

Northern Stage productions

• Son of Man (2006)
• Ruby Moon (2007)
• Our Friends in the North (2007)
• A Christmas Carol (2007)
• A Doll's House (2008)
• Look Back in Anger (2009)
• Hansel and Gretel (2008)
• Oh What a Lovely War (2010, nominated for two TMA awards)
• The Wind in the Willows (2010)
• Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf (2011)
• The Glass Slipper (2011)
• Oh, The Humanity (2012)
• The Borrowers (2012)

Non-Northern Stage productions

• The Winter's Tale (2000, Southwark Playhouse)
• Les Justes (2001, Gate Theatre)
• Witness (Gate Theatre, 2002)
• Marieluise (Gate Theatre, 2004)
• The Flu Season (Gate Theatre, 2003)
• The Shadow of a Boy (National Theatre, 2002)
• The Birthday Party (Sheffield Crucible, 2002)
• The Christmas Truce (Royal Shakespeare Company, 2014)
• Hecuba (Royal Shakespeare Company, 2015)
• A Midsummer Night's Dream: A play for the nation (Royal Shakespeare Company, 2016)

References

1. Ms Erica Whyman OBE's Biography http://www.debretts.com/people/biographies/browse/w/25455/Erica+WHYMAN.aspx Retrieved 5/04/2013
2. Erica Whyman to join RSC as deputy artistic director http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/2012/07/erica-whyman-to-join-rsc-as-deputy-artistic-director/ Retrieved 5/04/2013
3. Erica Whyman: Deputy Artistic Director, Royal Shakespeare Company – Profile http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2013/feb/21/erica-whyman-rsc-artistic-director Retrieved 5/04/2013
4. New Year Honours 2013: full list of recipients http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/honours-list/9768920/New-Year-Honours-2013-full-list-of-recipients.html Retrieved 5/04/2013

External links

• "Meet the New Guard Running British Theatre". The Guardian. 2013-02-17. Retrieved 2013-03-12.