The Old Vic has announced that Emma Rice’s company Wise Children will become its new Company in Residence, with its first production set to open Artistic Director Matthew Warchus’ fourth season in 2018.
Serving as the London home for the company, The Old Vic will host their first show, also titled Wise Children. This will be a new adaptation of Angela Carter’s novel, and a second production is expected to follow it.
Created and led by Emma Rice, the incumbent Artistic Director of Shakespeare’s Globe, Wise Children will be based in the South West, with the goal of conceiving, creating and presenting world-class, innovative ensemble theatre, a culmination of the process Rice has developed over her theatrical career. Wise Children will work in partnership with venues to create ensemble work to tour nationally and internationally through a series of residencies.
The company will also create a training and apprenticeship scheme, ‘Emma Rice’s School for Wise Children’, which aims to develop skills across the sector.
Of the announcement, Warchus said, “In 2018 The Old Vic celebrates 200 years of independent, creatively adventurous theatre. I am thrilled to welcome Emma and her new company, Wise Children, as our Company in Residence for the bicentenary.”
Rice added: “I named my new company Wise Children after Angela Carter’s seminal novel, which is set in South London and is a love letter to theatre. It makes total narrative and thrilling sense to start the Wise Children journey at The Old Vic!”
“This iconic, independent and proudly innovative theatre has hosted Shakespeare and Variety, music and dance alike for almost 200 years and it is the perfect first home for my company and for our first production.”