Theatre-Rites creates quality theatre experiences for children and family audiences. The Company tours nationally and internationally and, alongside traditional venues, its shows are performed in sites as diverse as dusty cellars and derelict salt factories. All carry a hallmark of integrity, imagination and artistic excellence.
Challenging existing boundaries by working with diverse artists, Theatre-Rites work has been hailed as a “radical departure” from traditional children’s theatre by The Guardian. It has pioneered innovative cross-artform theatre for its target audience, revolutionising theatre for the under 5s, and has more recently ventured on a journey developing the 5+ audience on the middle scale.
Sue Buckmaster is the Artistic Director of Theatre-Rites and has many years experience as a director, puppetry specialist and teacher. She has worked with a wide range of companies including the National Theatre, RSC, the Young Vic, Sadler’s Wells, the South Bank Centre, Lyric Hammersmith, Complicite, Opera Circus and Graeae. Her most recent work outside of Theatre-Rites is head of puppetry for the critically acclaimed Peter Pan now at the O2.
Sue has an MA in Contemporary Theatre Practice from Essex University, which included a thesis on The Psychoanalytic Study of the Power of the Puppet. Sue has created eight theatre shows and eight site-specific shows for Theatre-Rites, and in 2010 will be directing she will be directing a new site-specific in Germany.
