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Post by oxfordsimon on Mar 30, 2023 17:05:23 GMT
She didn't have a huge reputation when she was appointed.
And has done nothing to enhance that over the past decade.
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Post by Jon on Mar 30, 2023 20:11:27 GMT
Not sure why certain people here have such hate for Erica Whyman.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Mar 30, 2023 20:39:14 GMT
Lack of enthusiasm for any individual does not equal hate
She has done real harm to the RSC.
Doesn't mean I hate her. I just want her out of Stratford before that harm is permanently embedded.
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Post by cavocado on Mar 31, 2023 10:46:04 GMT
Not sure why certain people here have such hate for Erica Whyman. It's not hate to query a director's competence in the job they are doing, particularly when they are running a once great company that is in receipt of a very large public subsidy. A few things the RSC should be doing: Putting on high quality productions with big name actors and directors; bringing back its pre-covid regular audiences; attracting tourists; running productions in all three theatres; being the mainstay of the Stratford economy, bringing in the people who will spend money in shops, pubs, restaurants and hotels, more and more of which are boarded up each time I visit; keeping alive the work of Shakespeare's contemporaries, so that we can see his work in context. Most of this is not happening and EW has been fully in charge for the last year. |
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Post by cirque on Mar 31, 2023 11:25:56 GMT
By offering to help EW move out of Stratford is a kind thought,not hatred.
EW has been a huge and destructive influence on the RSC .By placing her political agenda at the forefront this company models a community theatre without the success.Yes-she places Education at the core.Since when has this been the reason for RSC to exist in the town.The repertoire opportunity in Swan is terrible-after Hamnet with preaching and a programme to empty the house.Wait and see-I could be wrong but doubt it.
EW is not a good Director,none of her work has ever really made a mark.She has a reputation for shows with community/youth chorus or amateur casting as in Dream.All this is fine but not at RSC where it should be the place for Shakespeare,His contemporaries and new plays of exceptional note.
Greg D must share the blame and by jumping ship he handed EW the power to complete her terrible agenda. You only have to stand in a bar around the town to hear the dismay from audience and very often staff.
Can the RSC come back...? Honestly dont know-the Covid closure lost so much confidence and there was hope that Swan could help restore the faith but single plays,Swan repertoire,no TOP,and a Julius Caesar that students would disown suggests that Evans/Harvey will have a bigger problem than just pepering cracks.Actors and Directors no longer value the work.EW may claim Totoro is her success....its really a production that has RSC in logo but far more independent.
EW may have eyes on Royal Court.....who knows ...she leaves an RSC in ruins and her agenda must be reversed. Under her planning we hit the depths.
How saddening to feel this.
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Post by alessia on Mar 31, 2023 11:42:04 GMT
Wow reading all this I just hope you are wrong and she isn't headed for the Royal Court! We need someone good to replace VF...
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Post by Jan on Mar 31, 2023 12:13:50 GMT
The last Shakespeare production the RSC brought to London was at Xmas 2021. It looks like the next one will be Xmas 2024 at the earliest. It is very unwise for them to be quite so invisible.
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Post by David J on Mar 31, 2023 12:57:38 GMT
I see this and other threads saying the artistic director should go - Erica Whyman, Vicky Featherstone, Rufus Norris, Gregory Doran, Michael Longhurst - and that major theatres are underperforming like Hampstead Upstairs. There is a general malaise going on in the theatre and media in general.
I could point out the firing of executive Victoria Alonso from Marvel Studios recently for one, after a year of gradually underperforming movies culminating in Ant Man 3 bombing. Though Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige should take some responsibility as well.
I could pick upon things like focusing on agenda or diversity and so on but overall there is overall lack of strong management. I may be nostalgic for the old days about 10 years ago and it's not as though there's been nothing but bad theatre ever since. But when can we admit that there's been a general decline in quality in places.
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Post by Fleance on Mar 31, 2023 13:04:14 GMT
Criticism of the RSC is not new. I read a letter from John Gielgud to Lillian Gish (his 1936 New York Ophelia), in which he says that "the RSC is very badly run, I'd like to get my claws into it." I don't remember the date, probably the 1940s or 50s.
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Post by londonpostie on Mar 31, 2023 13:31:49 GMT
I see this and other threads saying the artistic director should go - Erica Whyman, Vicky Featherstone, Rufus Norris, Gregory Doran, Michael Longhurst - and that major theatres are underperforming like Hampstead Upstairs. There is a general malaise going on in the theatre and media in general. It's a longer list than that. I find it a difficult thing to call. It looks like we are now likely past 'peak Woke'/Twittermob dominance, but for a time it must have been nearly impossible to manage 240 character agendas, programming and that other thing ... art!
Coincidentally, I see Lisa Burger, once of the Southbank parish, has popped up recently as a trustee to the Board at the ROH. Good hire.
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Post by Jon on Mar 31, 2023 14:17:48 GMT
Erica Whyman is leaving anyway and people here seem to want her dragged out of Stratford Upon Avon, let the poor woman finish her tenure.
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Post by David J on Mar 31, 2023 14:41:35 GMT
I see this and other threads saying the artistic director should go - Erica Whyman, Vicky Featherstone, Rufus Norris, Gregory Doran, Michael Longhurst - and that major theatres are underperforming like Hampstead Upstairs. There is a general malaise going on in the theatre and media in general. It's a longer list than that. I find it a difficult thing to call. It looks like we are now likely past 'peak Woke'/Twittermob dominance, but for a time it must have been nearly impossible to manage 240 character agendas, programming and that other thing ... art!
Coincidentally, I see Lisa Burger, once of the Southbank parish, has popped up recently as a trustee to the Board at the ROH. Good hire.
I think there's a cultural shift starting. Massive layoffs are happening at Disney, Twitter, Facebook, Amazon and different media companies. The economic situation we're in is pushing this but overall they are trimming off the unnecessary fat. It doesn't matter who you are or look like, unless you're REALLY talented and can deliver products that can sell for them, you're out the door. Meritocracy in a nutshell. I find theatre is slow to react but soon I think companies will get people who who will focus on just getting quality plays and productions out there. Even if there's more safe revivals. Worthy of discussion on another thread anyway. As for Daniel Evans coming in. I don't know. I know he's done Shakespeare before and even performed in the RSC early in his career but moved onto performing and directing musicals with the occasional play since. I wonder if the RSC will start doing musicals again under his leadership. His track record as AD at Chichester has been good but not as outstanding as Jonathan Church. I've never been to Theatre Clwyd so can't comment on Tamara Harvey. Generally they seem better candidates than Erica Whyman and I'll remain hopeful that they will surprise me. I mean I thought Gregory Doran was a perfect choice for AD back in 2013. They just need to get the talent back to Stratford. And I hope they won't be treated like outsiders by the RSC who have been used to Doran and Whyman's leadership for the past decade. |
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Post by Jon on Mar 31, 2023 14:45:31 GMT
It's a longer list than that. I find it a difficult thing to call. It looks like we are now likely past 'peak Woke'/Twittermob dominance, but for a time it must have been nearly impossible to manage 240 character agendas, programming and that other thing ... art!
Coincidentally, I see Lisa Burger, once of the Southbank parish, has popped up recently as a trustee to the Board at the ROH. Good hire.
I think there's a cultural shift starting. Massive layoffs are happening at Disney, Twitter, Facebook, Amazon and different media companies. The economic situation we're in is pushing this but overall they are trimming off the unnecessary fat. It doesn't matter who you are or look like, unless you're REALLY talented and can deliver products that can sell for them, you're out the door. Meritocracy in a nutshell. I find theatre is slow to react but soon I think companies will get people who who will focus on just getting quality plays and productions out there. Even if there's more safe revivals. Worthy of discussion on another thread anyway. As for Daniel Evans coming in. I don't know. I know he's done Shakespeare before and even performed in the RSC early in his career but moved onto performing and directing musicals with the occasional play since. I wonder if the RSC will start doing musicals again under his leadership. His track record as AD at Chichester has been good but not as outstanding as Jonathan Church. I've never been to Theatre Clwyd so can't comment on Tamara Harvey. Generally they seem better candidates than Erica Whyman and I'll remain hopeful that they will surprise me. I mean I thought Gregory Doran was a perfect choice for AD back in 2013. They just need to get the talent back to Stratford. And I hope they won't be treated like outsiders by the RSC who have been used to Doran and Whyman's leadership for the past decade. The layoffs at Disney and the tech companies are more to do with the fact they over expanded during the pandemic. |
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Post by David J on Mar 31, 2023 15:00:30 GMT
I think there's a cultural shift starting. Massive layoffs are happening at Disney, Twitter, Facebook, Amazon and different media companies. The economic situation we're in is pushing this but overall they are trimming off the unnecessary fat. It doesn't matter who you are or look like, unless you're REALLY talented and can deliver products that can sell for them, you're out the door. Meritocracy in a nutshell. I find theatre is slow to react but soon I think companies will get people who who will focus on just getting quality plays and productions out there. Even if there's more safe revivals. Worthy of discussion on another thread anyway. As for Daniel Evans coming in. I don't know. I know he's done Shakespeare before and even performed in the RSC early in his career but moved onto performing and directing musicals with the occasional play since. I wonder if the RSC will start doing musicals again under his leadership. His track record as AD at Chichester has been good but not as outstanding as Jonathan Church. I've never been to Theatre Clwyd so can't comment on Tamara Harvey. Generally they seem better candidates than Erica Whyman and I'll remain hopeful that they will surprise me. I mean I thought Gregory Doran was a perfect choice for AD back in 2013. They just need to get the talent back to Stratford. And I hope they won't be treated like outsiders by the RSC who have been used to Doran and Whyman's leadership for the past decade. The layoffs at Disney and the tech companies are more to do with the fact they over expanded during the pandemic. True, but they've been putting on bloat before then and the quality has been declining for years. You can only look at how they and Lucasfilm under Kathleen Kennedy has been gradually running Star Wars into the ground. The current Mandalorian season I'd say represent the malaise going on in media |
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Post by oxfordsimon on Mar 31, 2023 16:24:25 GMT
The RSC has been bloated for years. You only have to look at the lists of names in each programme to see how they prefer job creation over creating truly memorable theatre.
It is time to refocus the RSC. Put quality theatre at the very heart of the mission.
Make Stratford the place to stage brilliant productions and audiences will return.
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Post by Jon on Mar 31, 2023 17:14:02 GMT
It's ironic that there is so much disdain for Whyman and yet tomorrow is the opening of Hamnet which is already a smash hit with a transfer to London later in the year. The usual suspects are probably bitter about that.
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Post by Jan on Mar 31, 2023 17:22:39 GMT
Criticism of the RSC is not new. I read a letter from John Gielgud to Lillian Gish (his 1936 New York Ophelia), in which he says that "the RSC is very badly run, I'd like to get my claws into it." I don't remember the date, probably the 1940s or 50s. The RSC wasn't founded until 1961. |
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Post by oxfordsimon on Mar 31, 2023 17:23:15 GMT
Selling out doesn't make it a smash hit.
It makes it a welcome (and very rare) commercial success.
The quality of the production is what will make it a real hit or not. And we won't know that for some time given that press night is April 12th
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Post by Jan on Mar 31, 2023 17:24:37 GMT
It's ironic that there is so much disdain for Whyman and yet tomorrow is the opening of Hamnet which is already a smash hit with a transfer to London later in the year. The usual suspects are probably bitter about that. The novel Hamnet is a smash hit. Yes. What has Whyman got to do with that ? Or are you saying she personally bought the rights for the RSC ? I doubt that - probably Doran did. What other smash hits has she directed in the decade she's been at the RSC ? None ? |
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Post by Jon on Mar 31, 2023 17:34:34 GMT
It's ironic that there is so much disdain for Whyman and yet tomorrow is the opening of Hamnet which is already a smash hit with a transfer to London later in the year. The usual suspects are probably bitter about that. The novel Hamnet is a smash hit. Yes. What has Whyman got to do with that ? Or are you saying she personally bought the rights for the RSC ? I doubt that - probably Doran did. What other smash hits has she directed in the decade she's been at the RSC ? None ? You thought Totoro would be a failure which was proven very wrong and despite certain people gagging for another RSC flop, it looks like Hamnet will be another success. |
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Post by Fleance on Mar 31, 2023 18:54:29 GMT
Criticism of the RSC is not new. I read a letter from John Gielgud to Lillian Gish (his 1936 New York Ophelia), in which he says that "the RSC is very badly run, I'd like to get my claws into it." I don't remember the date, probably the 1940s or 50s. The RSC wasn't founded until 1961. Assuming I have the dates right, I guess it was the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre that Sir John was referring to, which I believe is considered part of the RSC's lineage, and mentioned as such on the RSC's website, even though the RSC wasn't officially chartered until 1961. Anthony Quayle was Artistic Director from 1948-1956. I should go back and look at the letter, to see the period that was referred to. Gielgud's letters to Lillian Gish range from 1937-1987. |
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Post by cavocado on Mar 31, 2023 19:07:44 GMT
It's ironic that there is so much disdain for Whyman and yet tomorrow is the opening of Hamnet which is already a smash hit with a transfer to London later in the year. The usual suspects are probably bitter about that. I don't think anyone is 'gagging for another RSC flop', or 'hates' Erica Whyman, or is 'bitter' about Hamnet selling well. You are making this about the pettiness and meanness of people posting anything critical of EW. Can you really not see any legitimate reasons to be concerned about the current direction of the RSC? Can I turn it around and ask you what you think the RSC's priorities should be? What should they be doing to justify the 15 million grant and £19 million recovery loan? Do you feel that having one theatre open in Stratford has been enough? Are you happy with the quality of recent productions and casts? Do you think it's OK to stop putting on plays by Shakespeare's contemporaries? I am happy to say that I enjoyed the recent Richard III, I'm looking forward to Hamnet and I wish I'd been able to go to The Tempest. But it's still not even close to the company it was 10+ years ago. |
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Post by Jon on Mar 31, 2023 19:58:36 GMT
I don't think anyone is 'gagging for another RSC flop', or 'hates' Erica Whyman, or is 'bitter' about Hamnet selling well. You are making this about the pettiness and meanness of people posting anything critical of EW. Can you really not see any legitimate reasons to be concerned about the current direction of the RSC? Can I turn it around and ask you what you think the RSC's priorities should be? What should they be doing to justify the 15 million grant and £19 million recovery loan? Do you feel that having one theatre open in Stratford has been enough? Are you happy with the quality of recent productions and casts? Do you think it's OK to stop putting on plays by Shakespeare's contemporaries? I am happy to say that I enjoyed the recent Richard III, I'm looking forward to Hamnet and I wish I'd been able to go to The Tempest. But it's still not even close to the company it was 10+ years ago. It ultimately doesn't matter what Whyman does now because there is a new regime coming in soon who will make changes. The RSC is a mixed bag but they'd have success recently, it's not been all failures and I think personally that the RSC should have new writing along with the classics, the likes of Les Miserables, Matilda, Nicholas Nicklebly etc wouldn't have happened if the RSC had stuck with just being about the classics and I've enjoyed the new work that has come from the RSC more than the classics which probably makes me a heretic in some people's eyes but so be it. No Theatre organisation is perfect and I think we need to perhaps stop with the pile ons, you're allowed to dislike the decision but don't be personal about the person behind the decision by suggesting she should driven out of town. |
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Post by Jan on Mar 31, 2023 20:09:50 GMT
The novel Hamnet is a smash hit. Yes. What has Whyman got to do with that ? Or are you saying she personally bought the rights for the RSC ? I doubt that - probably Doran did. What other smash hits has she directed in the decade she's been at the RSC ? None ? You thought Totoro would be a failure which was proven very wrong and despite certain people gagging for another RSC flop, it looks like Hamnet will be another success. Toroto was such a hit that it didn’t transfer to the West End, or anywhere else, and is only getting a revival because the RSC are using their next Barbican season to revive it when they should be using it for their core repertoire. Matilda and Les Miserables it ain’t - no West End transfer, no Broadway transfer. Why not ? |
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Post by Jon on Mar 31, 2023 20:22:34 GMT
Toroto was such a hit that it didn’t transfer to the West End, or anywhere else, and is only getting a revival because the RSC are using their next Barbican season to revive it when they should be using it for their core repertoire. Matilda and Les Miserables it ain’t - no West End transfer, no Broadway transfer. Why not ? I'm sure the Barbican are thrilled that the RSC are bringing back Totoro, it was a sellout last time, better to have a surefire hit than an half empty theatre. Totoro didn't transfer because it's a big production, there are not many places where it could transfer to. The National brought back War Horse after its first run before its West End run so I have no qualms about them doing that. You are bitter because it was a success. |
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