Matthew Churcher returns to the Emma Rice Company for the revival of Tristan & Yseult, the landmark production that has captivated audiences around the world and helped redefine contemporary British theatre.
Playing Frocin, Churcher joins a company of performers bringing Emma Rice’s acclaimed adaptation back to UK stages for the first time since 2017. Blending romance, mythology, live music and physical storytelling, Tristan & Yseult remains one of the most influential theatre productions of the 21st century.
Tristan & Yseult plays at Theatre Royal Bath until 19 September 2026 before embarking on a UK tour through to April 2027. Tickets and full tour information can be found here.
You’re starring in Tristan & Yseult at Theatre Royal Bath and on tour. What can you tell us about the show?
Tristan & Yseult is an ancient story. It’s the oldest recorded myth that serves as the precursor to our modern concept of romantic love. Without this myth we have no Romeo & Juliet, no West Side Story, no Titanic (the film, not the ship).
But the show doesn’t wallow in its emotion; it is anarchic, playful and full of life. It looks at love in all its many forms. Everyone watching will have felt something of what we’re exploring.
This production has achieved legendary status since it was first created in 2003. What does it mean to be part of its long-awaited return?
I’m equal parts thrilled and terrified to be a part of its long-awaited return.
Thrilled because I get to be a part of the show that shaped the style of work my peers and I wanted to create and be a part of.
Terrified because it holds such a dear place in people’s hearts. I want to do justice to the memory of the show, and to the legacy of those who created it.
You play Frocin in the production. How would you describe the character, and what has been the most rewarding aspect of bringing them to life?
I’m loving being in this show. I get to play high drama, but also be incredibly silly. I do some stunts, I play some drums. What’s not to love?
Frocin is overly energetic and overly keen. He dresses sharply and thinks of himself as cool. But he is deeply insecure. He is desperate to belong and be loved.
The character also breaks out into dance throughout the show and thinks of himself as a great dancer (when he’s not). It’s been a real stretch of a role.
You’ve previously appeared in Emma Rice Company productions including Wuthering Heights and The Little Match Girl and Happier Tales. What makes Tristan & Yseult unique within the company’s work?
I think all of Emma’s work is wonderful in its eclecticism. Whatever serves the story in the most exciting way goes into the production.
However, what I think Tristan & Yseult does so wonderfully in addition to this is play with form and genre. High tragedy butts up against slapstick comedy. Modern theatrical conventions meet old theatrical traditions. Opera wrestles with punk.
The juxtaposition helps both amplify and support the contrasting genres, which leads to new ways of watching and playing the show.
The show blends myth, music, movement and storytelling in a distinctive way. What can audiences expect from Emma Rice’s approach to theatre-making in this production?
Expect the unexpected.
This show is so good at being utterly surprising yet inevitable all at the same time. Everything that makes an Emma Rice show so special is present here, and then some!
What would you say to anyone thinking of booking to see Tristan & Yseult?
I often lament those unmissable pieces of theatrical history that I missed. Either because I wasn’t alive, or I said I’d book and left it to the final week and they’d all sold out (or dynamic pricing had kicked in and the 10 remaining tickets were £500+).
Don’t be like me. Book.
