121. Summer At The RSC - With director Erica Whyman and actress Tanya Katyal

We’re chatting about the Royal Shakespeare Company’s summer programme with Erica Whyman, who was Acting Artistic Director of the RSC till June, the director of the smash hit play ‘Hamnet’ and the Lead Judge of the specially commissioned 37 plays.  We also talk to Tanya Katyal, playing Rani, in the new production at the Swan of Tanika Gupta’s ‘The Empress’.   We also hear about the new production of ‘As You Like It’ starring Geraldine James as Rosalind along with a cast of older actors – mostly over 70.  Erica also tells us about working with Lolita Chakrabarti to adapt Maggie O’Farrell’s novel ‘Hamnet’, which transfers to the Garrick Theatre in the West End in the autumn. The RSC has celebrated 400 years since the publication of Shakespeare’s First Folio by commissioning 37 new plays from all over the UK.  The competition was open to all and Erica, as the Lead Judge, tells us about the winning entries – some came from writers as young as six. We also hear about the RSC’s valuable work with schools across the UK.