Emma Rice to rechristen Wise Children as company name ‘not helping us communicate the kind of work we make’

Emma Rice has announced that her theatre company Wise Children will now be known as Emma Rice Company.

Based in the South West, the company will continue to create and tour work internationally, alongside programming at its Frome base The Lucky Chance and a wide-ranging education programme.

Speaking about the rebrand, Rice said: “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.”

Alongside the name change, the company has revealed a new three-year partnership with Theatre Royal Bath titled The Director’s Cut. We have covered the partnership in detail here. Story continues below. 

Before then, Emma Rice Company will premiere a new stage adaptation of Dylan Thomas’ A Child’s Christmas in Wales at The Lucky Chance, running from 25 November to 21 December 2025. Rice will direct the piece, with music by Ian Ross, continuing the company’s tradition of presenting festive family shows in Frome.

Rice’s reimagining of Hitchcock’s North by Northwest will travel to The Old Globe in San Diego in July 2026 before embarking on a US tour.

WhatsOnStage will have an exclusive interview with Rice, discussing the rebrand and the various chapters of her career, coming up on our Podcast on Friday.