Erica Whyman

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

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 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. 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)

External links

• Ms Erica Whyman OBE's Biography http://www.debretts.com/people/biographies/browse/w/25455/Erica+WHYMAN.aspx Retrieved 5/04/2013
• 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
• 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
• 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