Emma Rice’s Wise Children

Wise Children is a celebration of show business, family, forgiveness and hope. Expect show girls and Shakespeare, sex and scandal, mischief and mistaken identity – and butterflies galore.

Loved by audiences and critics since its premiere at The Old Vic, London, in 2019, the show opened to a raft of 4 and 5 star reviews, and since has been seen by theatregoers across the UK. With support from The Space, it was filmed live at York Theatre Royal in 2019 and will be showing in cinemas in October 2019 – the list of screenings can be found via More2Screen.

What’s it about?

It’s 23 April, Shakespeare’s birthday.

In Brixton, Nora and Dora Chance – twin chorus girls born and bred south of the river – are celebrating their 75th birthday. Over the river in Chelsea, their father and greatest actor of his generation Melchior Hazard turns 100 on the same day. As does his twin brother Peregrine. If, in fact, he’s still alive. And if, in truth, Melchior is their real father after all….

A big, bawdy tangle of theatrical joy and heartbreak, Wise Children is a celebration of show business, family, forgiveness and hope. Expect show girls and Shakespeare, sex and scandal, music, mischief and mistaken identity – and butterflies by the thousand.

‘An explosion of theatrical glee’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️  The Times

‘Glorious. It’s great to be back on Planet Rice’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️  Time Out

‘Fantastic. Life-enhancing, brilliantly uninhibited, all-singing and dancing… Stars? I’m not sure why you would stop at five. ‘ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️  The Observer

About this artist

Wise Children is a new theatre company conceived, created and led by multi award-winning director Emma Rice. The company was formed to create landmark work with exceptional artists, challenge outmoded theatre touring models, train the next generation of creative practitioners, and discover the creative spaces of the future.