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Edward II (National) @ The Olivier, National Theatre

Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II is an obvious companion piece to Shakespeare’s Richard II, both dealing with the deposition of a king arguably more preoccupied with his friends and sycophants than with his kingdom, and the two have been performed together frequently (including most famously with Ian McKellen in the dual leads, making explicit the homosexual …

Timon of Athens (National Theatre/NT Live) @ The Broadway Cinema, Nottingham

As has been the case for certain previous NT Live productions, tonight’s broadcast of Timon of Athens marked the end of a lengthy and critically acclaimed run for a major National Theatre production. The use of the live broadcast format as valediction as well as product extension was explicitly referred to by the ever-present Emma …

Digital Programmes – The Comedy of Errors (NT Live)

Writing about web page http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/?lid=49018&utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NTLiveNewsletter080312-Tess&sSourceCode=5371 When I attended the live screening of The Comedy of Errors last week, I was disappointed to find that only free cast lists were available in the foyer – there was not the opportunity to buy a physical programme, as available in the theatre. However, I realised yesterday that the …

The Comedy of Errors (NT Live) @ The Broadway, Nottingham

Writing about web page http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/67933/productions/the-comedy-of-errors.html The NT Live juggernaut rolls on. Now well-established as a theatrical/cinematic event, it was a pleasure to see the enormous Screen 1 of Nottingham’s Broadway cinema packed out with a lively audience for the latest offering, a broadcast of Dominic Cooke’s hugely successful The Comedy of Errors, which I missed …

A Woman Killed with Kindness (National) @ The Lyttleton Theatre

The safety curtain went up on my first-ever Heywood production on Saturday, and for the first time in many years I was dumbstruck by the beauty of a set. Lizzie Clachan and Vicki Mortimer had created two Edwardian houses, connecting imperfectly in the centre, realised in lavish detail. In the Frankfords’ house, a large balcony …

For the Christmas wishlist

Courtesy of the National Theatre bookshop. You too can pretend you’re part of Team Hamlet at The Mousetrap: Hamlet ‘Villain’ T-shirt £15.00

Hamlet (National) @ The Olivier Theatre

Writing about web page http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/59866/productions/hamlet.html A lady sitting next to me at yesterday’s matinee commented how nice a change it made to have someone relatively unknown playing Hamlet. Certainly, Rory Kinnear hasn’t made the same mass-media impact yet as David Tennant or Jude Law, but he’s been working his way up, giving stunning performances in …

Prince of Denmark (National) @ The Cottesloe Theatre

Writing about web page http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/59868/productions/discover-prince-of-denmark.html As a prelude to the afternoon’s Hamlet in the Olivier, I managed to catch one of the final performances of Michael Lesslie’s new play Prince of Denmark, part of the NT’s "discover:" programme. Aimed at teenagers, the production’s purpose was to provide a bridge for young people coming to the …

Another sellout

Sold out already! Have to say, this wasn’t one I was overly excited about (my gut tells me it’ll be deeply conservative, light entertainment, though I honestly hope I’m wrong), but the British ticket-buying public have made the decision for me…. Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare COTTESLOE THEATRE   PLEASE NOTE: This production is now …

Women Beware Women (National) @ The Olivier, London

Following The Revenger’s Tragedy a couple of summers back, Middleton is back on the Olivier stage, this time in the guise of Women Beware Women. Not only is this my favourite play by my favourite writer, but it’s directed by the wonderful Marianne Elliott with a stellar cast. Expectations, then, were somewhat high. And yet, …