WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR RSC PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
Today the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is delighted to announce the four winners of the RSC Key* Photography Competition, for 16 – 25 year olds. With over 300 entries via Instagram the competition was launched to support the next generation of theatre photographers.
The winners have been commissioned to take the rehearsal photos for the RSC’s four Shakespeare productions in the Spring 2018 season: Macbeth directed by Polly Findlay; Romeo and Juliet directed by RSC Deputy Artistic Director Erica Whyman; the touring production of Hamlet directed by Simon Godwin; and The Merry Wives of Windsor directed by Fiona Laird. The winners are:
- Sophie Teasdale, from South Shields aged 23, will take the rehearsal photos for Macbeth.
- Ellie Merridale, from Milton Keynes aged 21, will take the rehearsal photos for Romeo and Juliet.
- Sophie Giddens, from Manchester, aged 24, will take the rehearsal photos for Hamlet.
- Helen Dickman, from Cambridge, aged 22, will take the rehearsal photos for The Merry Wives of Windsor.
Each young photographer receives a professional paid commission and will be mentored by four of the country’s leading theatre photographers: Richard Davenport, Manuel Harlan, Helen Maybanks and Topher McGrillis.
*The RSC Key is a free membership scheme for 16 – 25 year olds offering BP £5 tickets for RSC shows plus exclusive events and insights. For more information: www.rsc.org.uk/rsc-key
For further information contact: Amy Belson amy.belson@rsc.org.uk / 01789 412622
Shakespeare Spring 2018 Productions
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Directed by Polly Findlay
Royal Shakespeare Theatre: 13 March – 22 September 2018
Press night: Tuesday 20 March, 7pm
Broadcast Live from Stratford-upon-Avon to cinemas: 11 April 2018
Shakespeare’s dark tragedy of power and revenge is directed by Polly Findlay whose last RSC production was The Alchemist in 2016. Christopher Eccleston makes his RSC debut in the title role of the bloody king in this contemporary psychological thriller. He is joined by Niamh Cusack as Lady Macbeth.
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Directed by Erica Whyman
Royal Shakespeare Theatre: 21 April – 22 September 2018
Press night: Tuesday 1 May, 7pm
Broadcast Live from Stratford-upon-Avon to cinemas: 18 June 2018
Directed by RSC Deputy Artistic Director, Erica Whyman, and set in a world very like our own, this Romeo and Juliet is about a generation of young people born into violence and ripped apart by the bitter divisions of their parents. With Bally Gill and Karen Fishwick as Romeo and Juliet.
The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare
Directed by Fiona Laird
Royal Shakespeare Theatre: 4 August – 20 September 2018
Press night: Tuesday 14 August, 7pm
Broadcast Live from Stratford-upon-Avon to cinemas: 12 September 2018
Down on his luck in the suburbs, John Falstaff plans to hustle his way to a comfortable retirement by seducing the wives of two wealthy men. Unknown to him, it’s the women of Windsor who really pull the strings, orchestrating Falstaff’s comeuppance amidst a theatrical smorgasbord of petty rivalries, jealousies and over-inflated egos. Fiona Laird makes her directing debut for the RSC and David Troughton takes on the role of Falstaff.
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Directed by Simon Godwin
National Tour: 26 January to 31 March 2018
Simon Godwin’s acclaimed production embarks on a national tour, with Paapa Essiedu returning to play the title role. More tour details here: https://www.rsc.org.uk/hamlet-tour-2018/