Erica Whyman, OBE (born 27 October 1969)^[1] is an English theatre director who became deputy artistic director at the Royal Shakespeare Company in January 2013.^[2]

Whyman was born in Harrogate, Yorkshire, but lived in Barnsley until aged eight, before her family moved to Surrey. She studied French and Philosophy at Oxford University and theatre with Philippe Gaulier in Paris^[3] and then at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Whyman was the Chief Executive at Northern Stage, Newcastle upon Tyne, from 2005 to 2012.

In 2013, Whyman became deputy artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company. In September 2021, she became acting artistic director of the RSC.^[4]

In 2013, she was appointed an OBE in the New Year Honours List.^[5] She has a daughter, Ruby, with playwright Richard Bean.

• 1997 – Awarded the John S Cohen Bursary for Directors at the National Theatre Studio
• 1997–98 – Associate producer of Tricycle Theatre
• 1998–2000 – Associate director of English Touring Theatre
• 1999–2001 – Artistic director Southwark Playhouse (Peter Brook Empty Space Award)
• 2001–04 – Artistic director and chief executive of Gate Theatre
• 2004–05 – Fellow of the Clore Leadership Programme in the first cohort
• 2005–2012 – Chief executive of Northern Stage, Newcastle upon Tyne (TMA Award for Theatre Manager of the Year, 2012)