North By Northwest to be adapted for the stage by Wise Children in new season

Wise Children has announced its new season of work, featuring a world premiere, returning favourites, and international tours.

The season includes artistic director Emma Rice’s adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest, along with productions of The Little Match Girl and Happier Tales, The Ugly Duckling, and a global tour of Wuthering Heights.

Rice’s adaptation of North by Northwest will be co-produced with York Theatre Royal, HOME Manchester, and Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse. The production begins previews at York Theatre Royal on 18 March, with a press night on 26 March, before touring to Manchester, Liverpool, and further UK venues (to be revealed). The play, based on Hitchcock’s 1959 film, follows Roger Thornhill, a man mistaken for a spy in the middle of a Cold War conspiracy.

This Christmas, The Little Match Girl and Happier Tales, co-adapted by Joel Horwood and Rice, returns to Wise Children’s home, the Lucky Chance in Frome. The production weaves together Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tales, incorporating puppetry and live music. Alongside it, The Ugly Duckling, directed by Mike Shepherd with puppets by Lyndie Wright, will run at the same venue, aimed at younger audiences.

Additionally, Wise Children’s hit adaptation of Wuthering Heights will return for an international tour in 2025, visiting Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China. Adapted and directed by Rice, the production has toured extensively in the UK and the US, and is set to continue its global journey.

Further details and tour dates for all productions will be announced in the coming months.