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Sphinx places women centre stage and aims to redefine and explore the changing nature of femininity. They offer strong roles for actresses. They give women directors the opportunity to work on projects they are passionate about.
From 1973, a feminist ensemble company, the Women's Theatre Group, toured to factories, clubs, women's groups, women's prisons, hospitals, schools and theatres. Arts Council England funded the company from 1975 to 2007.
Developing a multi-cultural approach and nurturing new talent, the company proved a catalyst for changing the climate for women throughout the theatre, particularly for women writers and directors.
In the early 1990s, WTG became Sphinx Theatre Company and included men as actors and creative collaborators. As well as producing new plays by April De Angelis, Beatrix Campbell, Helene Cixous, Jackie Kay, Bryony Lavery and Amrit Wilson among many others, the company also organised a series of seminars at the Royal National Theatre under the title "The Glass Ceiling". In 2005, at the invitation of the RNT an exhibition, Flogging The Jewels, celebrated 30 years of the company.
In 2009, Sphinx produced the highly successful conference "Vamps, Vixens and Feminists: The Elephant in the Room" at the National Theatre in collaboration with Equity, The Writer's Guild, The Director's Guild and WFTV, supported by the Arts Council of England. This proved to be the first in the series, and "The Elephant in the Room" was followed by "Fighting The Backlash" held at the Young Vic in 2010, "Whatever Happened to Cunning Stunts?" held at the Southbank Centre 2011 AND "In the North!" at West Yorkshire Playhouse in 2012.
THE TEAM
Sue Parrish, Artistic Director
Mary Armstrong, Financial Administrator
Tiffany Woodsmith, Artistic Associate and Administrator
Ros Philips, Artistic Associate
info@sphinxtheatre.co.uk