About

Red Handed Theatre Company was founded in 2006 by Jessica Swale (Artistic Director) and Katie Bonna
(Associate Artist) in a busy vegetarian cafe just off the Royal Mile, during the Edinburgh Festival in 2006.

The company's aim is to both create and produce dynamicand innovative theatre.

Red Handed specialises in finding fresh perspectives and contemporary resonance in classic works. In addition, we are interested in new writing, supporting and developing the work of emerging playwrights.

Most importantly, we aim to make original, entertaining and thought provoking theatre, whatever its origin.

Alongside producing full scale productions, we work with writers to develop new scripts, platforming rehearsed readings and generating work through text based and devising methods. We are currently developing Jessica Swale's new play, BLUE STOCKINGS, with the support of the National Theatre Studio and RADA.

Since the company's inception we have produced seven sell out productions, two new plays and won a range of plaudits, awards and commendations in the press. Most recently THE BELLE'S STRATAGEM at Southwark Playhouse was listed as Top Five Plays in London and Time Out Critic's Choice, shortly after PALACE OF THE END, winner of the Amnesty International Award for Freedom of Expression, was listed as a Top Ten London Production for 2010 in Music OMH, who awarded it five stars.

In 2011 we recieved two top award nominations:

Charity Wakefield received a Best Actor nomination in the Ian Charleson Awards for her performance as Lydia Languish in Red Handed's THE RIVALS.

And Jessica Swale is a nominee for Best Director in the 2011 Evening Standard Awards for our production of THE BELLE'S STRATAGEM. We'd also like to congratulate Harry Hadden-Paton (Jack in our 2010 THE RIVALS) for his nomination for Best Actor for FLARE PATH.