Upcoming shows include Malory Towers, Tristan & Yseult and A Child’s Christmas in Wales
Theatre company Wise Children led by director Emma Rice is renaming, to become the Emma Rice Company.
Based in the South West of the UK, the company plans to continue its commitment to create ground-breaking work with exceptional artists, global touring, sitting alongside programming at their home base, The Lucky Chance theatre in Frome, and a comprehensive education and outreach programme.
In other news today, the Emma Rice Company and Theatre Royal Bath have announced a new three-year partnership, The Director’s Cut, which will see the two companies work together to revive some of Rice’s most iconic and beloved productions.
The extended season will kick off with a revival of Malory Towers in May 2026, followed by Tristan & Yseult in September 2026. Further programming for future years will be announced in due course.
The Director’s Cut will also tour the UK, with Emma Rice Company’s signature ‘slow tour’ network of partners including York Theatre Royal, Manchester HOME, Coventry Belgrade Theatre, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse, Edinburgh Royal Lyceum, Nottingham Playhouse and Plymouth Theatre Royal.
After opening at Theatre Royal Bath, Malory Towers will embark on a 10-venue UK tour.
The Emma Rice Company will also stage a new production, an adaptation of Dylan Thomas’ A Child’s Christmas in Wales, adapted and directed by Emma Rice. The production will run at The Lucky Chance in Frome from 25 November 2025.
Recent Emma Rice productions include an adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest. The show is set to tour the US next summer, starting at The Old Globe in San Diego in July 2026.
What They Said
Emma Rice said in a statement: “The only certain thing in life is change, and change is what is happening! It is with a heady mix of pride and excitement that we are announcing our new company name, the Emma Rice Company. We haven’t taken this decision lightly as we’ve truly loved being Wise Children! I carry the book in my heart, and its spirit will always be at the centre of the company’s ethos and story. However, the need for change has become compelling and we are nothing if not brave and smart. We’ve been forced to admit that the name we love so much is not helping us communicate the kind of work we make. We cannot keep explaining to partners near and far that we are not a children’s company! We also have exciting plans to celebrate and remount some of my past work, from my glorious time at Kneehigh, and less glorious time at Shakespeare’s Globe. It’s time to join the dots, tell the big story and bring all these wonderful chapters together under the simple and authentic banner: Emma Rice Company. I couldn’t be prouder.”
Danny Moar, Director, Theatre Royal Bath said: “It is an enormous privilege for Theatre Royal Bath and its audiences to collaborate with the Emma Rice Company in this way. We look forward to two great productions opening with us in 2026 with more to come in the years ahead.”
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