Liz Ranken
Elizabeth Ranken is a British choreographer, performer, director, movement director and artist. She is an Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company and was a lead performer with DV8 Physical Theatre. Her work encompasses opera, theatre, physical theatre, dance, television, film and art.
Early years
Ranken initially read biology and holds a BSc from London University. She later qualified as a speech therapist from Central School of Speech and Drama before moving to Laban Dance Centre to train in choreography and performance.Career
On leaving Laban Dance Centre, Ranken was invited by Jacob Marley to set up Company of Cracks, which was a cross over between dance and performance art. In the early '80s, Ranken met Angus Farquhar and became a member of the industrial music group Test Dept.In 1986, Ranken was invited by Lloyd Newson to join DV8 Physical Theatre as a deviser and performer. She became an Artist in Residence at the Centre for Contemporary Arts creating her own work.
In 1992 Ranken began a collaboration with Shared Experience, working with Helen Edmundson and becoming an Associate Artist for the company. In 1993 Ranken won the Edinburgh Evening News Capital Award for directing, devising and performing 'Funk Off Green' at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Ranken was invited by Michael Attenborough to work as Movement Director at the RSC, ultimately becoming an Associate Artist with the company. She has an ongoing association with Michael Boyd, who later became Artistic Director at the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Ranken began painting in 2011 with a painting of Michael Boyd, which is currently in the collection at the RSC.
In 2015, she made her debut as a choreographer in opera with L'Orfeo for the Royal Opera House.
Theatre
Credits as Movement Director:| Year | Title | Production | Notes |
| 1991 | Anna Karenina | Shared Experience | directed by Nancy Meckler, revived 1993 & 1998 |
| 1992 | The Changeling by Thomas Middleton | Royal Shakespeare Company | directed by Michael Attenborough |
| 1993 | Mill on the Floss | Shared Experience | directed by Nancy Meckler and Polly Teale, revived 1995 & 2001 |
| 1995 | Richard III by William Shakespeare | Royal Shakespeare Company | directed by Steven Pimlott |
| 1996 | War and Peace | Shared Experience and Royal National Theatre | directed by Nancy Meckler and Polly Teale, revived 2008 |
| 1996 | As You Like It by William Shakespeare | Royal Shakespeare Company | directed by Steven Pimlott |
| 1996 | Jane Eyre | Shared Experience | directed by Polly Teale, revived 2006 |
| 1997 | The Tempest | Shared Experience | directed by Nancy Meckler |
| 1998 | Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare | Royal Shakespeare Company | directed by Michael Boyd |
| 1998 | The House of Bernarda Alba | Shared Experience | directed by Polly Teale |
| 1998 | Arabian Nights | Young Vic and Royal Shakespeare Company | directed by Dominic Cooke |
| 1999 | A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare | Royal Shakespeare Company | directed by Michael Boyd, transferred to Brooklyn Academy of Music |
| 1999 | Mother Courage and her Children | Shared Experience | directed by Nancy Meckler |
| 2000 | Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare | Royal Shakespeare Company | directed by Michael Boyd |
| 2000 | Henry VI by William Shakespeare | Royal Shakespeare Company and The Roundhouse | directed by Michael Boyd |
| 2000 | Henry VI: Part II by William Shakespeare | Royal Shakespeare Company and The Roundhouse | directed by Michael Boyd, revived 2006 |
| 2000 | Henry VI: The Battle for the Throne by William Shakespeare | Royal Shakespeare Company and The Roundhouse | directed by Michael Boyd, revived 2006 |
| 2001 | Richard III by William Shakespeare | Royal Shakespeare Company and The Roundhouse | directed by Michael Boyd, revived 2006 |
| 2002 | The Magic Toyshop | Shared Experience | directed by Polly Teale |
| 2002 | The Malcontent by John Marston | Royal Shakespeare Company | directed by Dominic Cooke |
| 2002 | The Tempest by William Shakespeare | Royal Shakespeare Company | directed by Michael Boyd |
| 2003 | A Passage to India | Shared Experience | directed by Nancy Meckler |
| 2003 | Cymbeline by William Shakespeare | Royal Shakespeare Company | directed by Dominic Cooke |
| 2003 | A Doll's House | Shared Experience | directed Polly Teale |
| 2004 | Gone to Earth | Shared Experience | directed Nancy Meckler |
| 2004 | Macbeth by William Shakespeare | Royal Shakespeare Company | directed by Dominic Cooke |
| 2004 | House of Desires | Royal Shakespeare Company | directed by Nancy Meckler |
| 2004 | Hamlet | Royal Shakespeare Company | directed by Michael Boyd |
| 2005 | Brontë | Shared Experience | directed Nancy Meckler, revived 2010 & 2011 |
| 2005 | Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare | Royal Shakespeare Company | directed by Michael Boyd |
| 2005 | The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare | Royal Shakespeare Company | directed by Nancy Meckler |
| 2005 | As You Like It by William Shakespeare | Royal Shakespeare Company | directed by Dominic Cooke |
| 2006 | Orestes | Shared Experience | directed Nancy Meckler |
| 2006 | The Crucible by Arthur Miller | Royal Shakespeare Company | directed by Dominic Cooke |
| 2006 | Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare | Royal Shakespeare Company | directed by Nancy Meckler |
| 2006 | 'Pericles by William Shakespeare | Royal Shakespeare Company | directed by Dominic Cooke |
| 2006 | 'The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare | Royal Shakespeare Company | directed by Dominic Cooke |
| 2007 | Kindertransport | Shared Experience | directed by Polly Teale |
| 2007 | Richard II | Royal Shakespeare Company and The Roundhouse | directed by Michael Boyd |
| 2007 | Henry IV | Royal Shakespeare Company and The Roundhouse | directed by Michael Boyd |
| 2007 | Henry IV: Part II | Royal Shakespeare Company and The Roundhouse | directed by Michael Boyd |
| 2007 | Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman | Royal Shakespeare Company | directed by Dominic Cooke |
| 2008 | Mine | Shared Experience | directed by Polly Teale |
| 2008 | The Dance of Death | Shaftesbury Theatre | directed by Sean Matthias |
| 2009 | The Caucasian Chalk Circle | Shared Experience | directed by Nancy Meckler |
| 2010 | The Glass Menagerie | Shared Experience | directed by Polly Teale |
| 2011 | Speechless | Shared Experience | directed by Polly Teale |
| 2000 | Fireface | Royal Court Theatre Young Vic | directed by Dominic Cooke |
| 2012 | Mary Shelley | Shared Experience | directed by Polly Teale |
| 2013 | All's Well That Ends Well by William Shakespeare | Royal Shakespeare Company | directed by Nancy Meckler |
| 2013 | Bracken Moor | Shared Experience | directed by Polly Teale |
| 2015 | Mermaid | Shared Experience | directed by Polly Teale |
| 2018 | Tamburlaine by Christopher Marlowe | Royal Shakespeare Company | directed by Michael Boyd |
Physical Theatre and Dance
Credits:| Year | Title | Production | Notes |
| 1987 | 'Deep End | DV8 Physical Theatre | conceived and directed by Lloyd Newson starring Nigel Charnock, Lloyd Newson, Michelle Richecoeur, Liz Ranken |
| 1987 | My Body, Your Body'' | DV8 Physical Theatre | conceived and directed by Lloyd Newson |
Opera
Credits as Choreographer and Movement Director:| Year | Opera | Production | Notes |
| 2015 | Orfeo by Monteverdi | Royal Opera House & The Roundhouse | directed by Michael Boyd |
| 2016 | Eugene Onegin by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky | Garsington Opera | directed by Michael Boyd, starring Roderick Williams and Brindley Sherratt. |
| 2017 | Pelléas et Mélisande by Claude Debussy | Garsington Opera | directed by Michael Boyd |
| 2017 | The Cunning Little Vixen by Leoš Janáček | Byre Opera | directed by PJ Harris |
Film work
Ranken has appeared in the following films:- 1990 Silences
- 1991 Caught Looking directed by Constantine Giannaris
- 1991 Edward II directed by Derek Jarman
- 1993 Three Steps to Heaven directed by Constantine Giannaris'
- 1994 Touched directed by Wendy Houstoun
- 1997 The film Alive and Kicking directed by Nancy Meckler. This film is also known as Indian Summer
- 2000 3 Steps to Heaven, directed by Constantine Giannaris
Awards
- 1988 Ranken won The Place portfolio choreographic award with composer John Eacott. This was for artists to watch out for and invest in. Matthew Bourne also won this award in the same year.
- 1992 She won The Time Out Award for choreographing Anna Karenina for Shared Experience theatre company.
- 1993 Ranken won the Edinburgh Evening News Capital Award for directing, devising and performing 'Funk Off Green' at the Edinburgh Fringe
Paintings
2013: Ranken's painting of James Rowsell, Louise Bangay and their daughter Isadora entitled Diamond Values was taken into the Heinz Archive at the National Portrait Gallery.
2013: Ranken's painting, entitled Held in Infinity, was taken into the Heinz Archive and Library at The National Portrait Gallery.
Other
- 1986: Ranken began performing with the band Test Department. At this time, she had started to collaborate with Test Department's percussionist Angus Farquhar while she was at the Laban. He was at Goldsmiths studying drama and they shared the same campus. In 1998 Ranken collaborated with Angus Farquhar and his new company NVA performing at the National Day for Britain at the World EXPO in Lisbon. They created a pagan fire festival with musicians and dancers from Scotland and Portugal, burning 15-meter high straw figures in front of a live audience of 10,000.
- 1992: She was performer/choreographer for The Big Tease working with strippers for the Edinburgh Fringe festival. Ranken performed alongside the strippers whose autobiographies were the basis of the show.
- 1995: She was the performer/devisor of Doing Bird directed by Irvine Allan for Glasgow Mayfest, then touring prisons in Scotland including Barlinnie Prison. The piece then was performed at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, and toured prisons in Leeds including Armley Jail.