Hello and welcome to our new Saturday slot for Arts and Culture. This section will feature posts concerning elements of the artistic and cultural world, including music, film, theatre, literature, festivals, days out, and anything of interest that might be coming up or going on. If anyone has anything to add to this section, for example, if there is something going on in your area you’ve enjoyed or you’d like to raise awareness of, please leave a response in the comments section. We’d love to hear from you.
For this first post, I thought I’d tell you about a couple of recent National Theatre Live (NTL) screenings my daughter and I went to. The National Theatre (see here for details) has been running nationwide cinema screenings of its current theatre productions, and we were able to ‘go to the theatre’ locally, albeit via a cinema screen, at an affordable price.
There’s a story behind the first screening we saw, as things didn’t turn out as we’d expected. Back in November, we went to our local small-town cinema to see Richard II, starring David Tennant, which was receiving rave reviews at the theatre. On the evening of the live screening, there was a problem with the satellite receiver at the cinema (probably a result of one of the storms we’ve had for what seems like months on end), and they could not receive the programme. We were disappointed, but the cinema arranged a re-screening of a 2011 NTL production for the following night. So, we went along to see Frankenstein, starring Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) and Jonny Lee Miller (Trainspotting). Directed by Danny Boyle, with fabulous sets, steampunk style and power house sound effects, we could see elements of the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony. The set transformations were brilliant, and the acting... Well, the acting was breathtaking. Messrs Cumberbatch and Miller swapped roles between performances, and it’s no mean feat to learn two roles, I’m sure. When we saw the play, ‘Benny’ (as my teenage daughter calls him) played Victor Frankenstein. Jonny Lee Miller played The Creature, and both gave haunting, yet sensitive performances. You felt pity for the monster and for Victor, whilst being appalled at some of their actions. At the end of the production, the entire cinema audience broke into spontaneous applause – not something I’d ever experienced at the cinema. It was extraordinary, and we did feel like we’d actually been to the theatre.
More recently, we went to see Coriolanus, one of Shakespeare’s later tragedies, and a story of political manipulation and revenge. Screened live from the Donmar Warehouse in Covent Garden, it starred Tom Hiddleston (Loki from the Marvel franchise) as Coriolanus, and Mark Gatiss (Mycroft Holmes in Sherlock and co-writer for Dr Who) as Menenius. You can watch a trailer with Tom Hiddleston here. We loved the really clever use of the set which, although spare, was a square thrust stage on which some of the actors intermittently painted lines around areas of important events. The main props were a few chairs and a ladder. There was even a shower scene! Tom Hiddleston gave an emotive, powerful, yet sensitive performance, from tyrant to lover – he was incredible, especially during a scene with his mother, wife and daughter near the end of the play. We were in tears, especially at the end, but there'll be no spoilers here. Mark Gatiss played a very believable Menenius, and showed what a versatile actor he is. This production, directed by Josie Rourke, really connected the audience to both character and story, because at the close, there were lots of teary eyes and another huge round of applause. The characters’ human pain was tangible. This must mean that the cinema screen did not detract in any way from the ‘theatre experience’, and I will definitely be going to future National Theatre Live productions. In fact, I think I’m going to book some War Horse tickets for 27th February.
Why not tell us about any NTL performances you’ve been to, and what you thought about them? We’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments section.
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