Explore every episode of the podcast Wise Children's Lockdown

As lockdown starts to lift and the world slowly gets back on its axis it's time to bring our Tea and Biscuits series to an end. So, to celebrate 14 months of planning, unplanning, and replanning and thrown-out plans, endless Zoom calls, and crazy live stream projects, Emma sits down with the whole Wise Children team to look back on the last year.  

This week it's Watershed CEO, Chair of Wise Children's Board, Board Member of the RSC, digital guru, and all-round uber cool person.  None of this explains why we're playing records from an early 80s Kids From Fame album. You're going to have to listen to find out. 

This week Emma is swapping stories with Allegra Galvin.  Allegra is a key part of the Wise Children story and this episode explains how.  

Expect tales of the Kneehigh Barns, clandestine meetings at railway stations, anxious late-night phone calls and the best ever example of expectation-management.  

In short, we wouldn't be doing all this without her.  If you're thinking of starting a theatre company then this is a must.  If you're not thinking of starting a theatre company you should listen anyway as it's about home, love, stories, and wonder. 

This week Emma is talking to Steve Tanner.

Steve has been taking pictures of Emma's work for the last 20 plus years. All those iconic images of Kneehigh and Wise Children shows will have come from Steve. This is a fascinating insight into the process of capturing images of shows. There's some good music too from Nina Simone, Romantics Anonymous, and Jurrasic 5 to name a few. 

This week Emma Rice talks to Craig Johnson about their times touring the village halls of Cornwall in a van, Tristan&Yseult, Don John and Squashbox Theatre.  There's music from Blondie, Kneehigh's Tristan and Yseult, Bernard Herman and much more... 

The Tea And Biscuits Podcast is back! Today Emma is joined by director Keziah Serreau for music and biscuits as they remember their time at Umbrellas of Cherbourg and Shakespeare's Globe (amongst many others).  

On today's show Emma shares a Rich Tea and cup of Earl Grey with Tony Jayawardena. Emma and Tony have worked together on The Empress, Wah Wah Girls and Twelfth Night.  

This week it's long time collaborator, supporter and all-round problem-solver - Bristol Old Vic's very own Tom Morris!

It's an emotionally charged episode as Emma and Tom talk about their past collaborations such as Night of The Circus, Wooden Frock and A Matter of Life & Death.  

On today's show Emma sits down with actress Natasha Jayetileke. 

Emma and Natasha have worked together on shows including Wah Wah Girls, Romantics Anonymous and Wise Children. 

Expect tales of Bollywood in Clapham and the dangers of working with Ms Rice. 

It's an emotional one this week.  Emma sits down with Matthew Dunster and they remember their time at Shakespeares Globe.  

Tears, laughter and an amazingly diverse soundtrack - just like their brief tenure.

We're back with new episodes!  This week Emma is joined by Omari Douglas.  

Omari played Showgirl Nora in Emma's production of Wise Children and is currently starring in Russell T Davis's new 1980's TV Drama, It's A Sin.

With Flying Lovers of Vitebsk in reheersal we thought we'd do something a bit different. 

In this special extended episode Simon Baker talks to Emma Rice about her school days - from O'Levels to Guildhall.

We start in 1981, Thatcher is in power, Fame is on the TV, and the most hi-tech thing in shops is a digital watch.   

Will we find out what Emmas O'Level results were, was she always destined to be a director and will they finish the episode in time for Strickly?

We're 2 weeks out from rehearsals for the LIVE BROADCASTS of The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk.  

Emma sits down for virtual Tea & Biscuits with Audrey Brisson who plays Bella Chagall. 

Audrey has worked with Emma on shows such as Midnights Pumpkin, The Wild Bride and, of course, The Flying Lovers.  Aside from here work with Emma, you might have seen her in The Grinning Man, Dead Dog In A Suitcase, Pinnochio and Amelie as well as extensive periods with Cirque Du Soleil. 

Find out just how old Audrey was when she first appeared with Cirque, what new motherhood has been like during Lockdown and why you should always learn your lines even if they are written on a prop!

About The Flying Lovers Of Vitebsk

Perhaps you’ve seen them floating over a Russian village? Or perhaps you’ve seen her toppling forward, arms full of wild flowers, as he arches above her head and steals an airborne kiss.

Partners in life and on canvas, Marc and Bella Chagall are immortalised as the picture of romance. But whilst on canvas they flew, in life they walked through some of the most devastating times in history.

Daniel Jamieson’s The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk traces this young couple as they navigate the Pogroms, the Russian Revolution, and each other.  

Emma Rice’s sumptuous and physical production is drawn in a theatrical language as fluid as Chagall’s paintings, and woven throughout with music and dance inspired by Russian Jewish tradition.

On today's show, Emma sits down with long time collaborator, actor Tris Sturrock.  If you want to understand what the early days of Kneehigh were like, indeed what working in a touring company is like, then this one is must!  

Trist has been in many Kneehigh shows directed by Emma including A Matter Of Life & Death, Tristan & Yseult and Brief Encounter. 

On today's episode, Emma sits down with Simon Harvey.  

Simon is, amongst other things, the Artistic Director of o-region, a Cornwall based theatre and film production company, an associate artist at The Hall For Cornwall and an associate director of Kneehigh Theatre. 

Emma and Simon have worked together many times including all the numerous iterations of Brief Encounter. 

This is a proper insight to working with Emma... they all lose it in the studio when Simon complains about Emma's constant lack of a pen or note book. 

Today's episode Emma sits down with Kneehigh's Co-Artistic Director, Carl Grose.  In the early days, Emma and Carl toured the village halls of Cornwall.  These are just some of the stories.  

In this episode, Emma sits down with Kneehigh founder Mike Shepherd and they take a look at the creation of iconic production - The Red Shoes.  

On this episode its the one and only - Paul Crewes.  Paul was Kneehigh producer whilst Emma was Artistic Director and oversaw many of the classic Kneehigh shows.   

On today's episode, Emma sits down with Romantics Anonymous alumni and friend Sandra Marvin. 

Todays Emma sits down with dear friend and writer Anna Maria Murphy and they talk through their work together on groundbreaking shows including The Red Shoes, Tristan and Yseult and Don John to name just a few.  

In this episode, Emma sits down with composer Stu Barker and they talk about their early days at Kneehigh Theatre. 

Todays its Wise Children's Gorgeous George  and Told By An Idiot Artistic Director -  Paul Hunter!  

This time it's musical supervisor and MD Nigel Lilley sitting down with Emma.  Some great music (of course) and tales of Emma's casual acquaintance with rights issues catching up with the pair during a preview in Leicester.  

This week it's the original Wise Child Mirabelle Gremaud. 

This week Emma is joined by Lighting Designer Malcolm Rippeth, a long-serving member of the Wise Children and Kneehigh family.  Alongside being an ace lighting designer, Malcolm is often Emma's key fact-checker - a very useful thing to have around when Emma is rehearsing!

Its the weird one... Emma sits down with Wise Children's Sound Designer, Technical Director and Digital Associate Simon Baker.... hmmm... at least the music is good!

This week it's Wise Children's Executive Producer Poppy Keeling

This week Emma sits down multi-award winning deigner and life long friend Vicki Mortimer for tales of dancing at The Dug Out, embroidering in Stratford and huge shipping containers as they talk about how they started together in Fringe theatre.

Today on the show it's Lez Brotherston who's iconic sets and costumes have been seen around the world.  There's music from Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Meow Meow and more. Lez's talks about his time with French & Saunders, New Adventures and not getting his and Emma's bottom tattooed in a Fench seaport.  

Today Emma is joined by Wise Children Associate Director Laura Keefe.  

This week its writer Tanika Gupta

Todays its Carly Bawden in the chair talking about Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Romantics Anonymous and that dazzling performance in My Fair Lady!  

Today Emma sits down with Wise Children regular Gareth Snook. 

Today Emma sits down with stage manager turned general manager, Steph Curtis.  Emma and Steph have worked together for over 12 years and look back at Brief Encounter, Kneehigh and a bottle of wine sealed with gaffa tape in the office fridge. 

On today's episode, Emma sits down John Pfumojena and talks about language, Shakespeare and playing Heathcliff.   

​with music and clips from Twelfth Night / John Falsetto and Mohamed Sarrar / Soweto Gospel Choir / Chiwonsio and more

Today's episode is Wise Children's Director of Music and general musical genius Ian Ross.

​with music and clips from Twelfth Night / Wise Children / The Crystals / Bomba Estéreo and more

Today its the original Wild Bride and Lady Atalanta Patrycja.  

Emma sits down with Ankur Bahl - a must for anyone studying A Midsummer Nights Dream!

Emma sits down with Kneehigh artistic director Mike Shepherd - surely this has to be part one of four?

Emma sits down with the always amazing Nandi Nhebhe and we get to hear some previously unreleased archive footage. 

Today Emma sits down with the one and only Katy Owen

Emma sits down with New Adventures and Wise Children's Etta Murfitt

Join Emma for (virtual) tea and biscuits as she sits down with one of the Wise Children family for chats and music.  This week it's Marc Antolin.