Tag Archives: National Theatre

Cheers to our Will, not sorry old George

By Ray Bennett Today is St. George’s Day named for the patron saint of several places  such as Aragon, Catalonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal and Russia. Oh, and England. We English, of course, don’t mark April 23 in … Continue reading

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THEATRE REVIEW: Ugly Lies the Bone

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Mind over matter is refined in Lindsey Ferrentino’s absorbing new play “Ugly Lies the Bone” at the National Theatre to the application of virtual reality to deal with physical and emotional pain.

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National Theatre to make its first movie: ‘London Road’

By Ray Bennett The National Theatre announced its first involvement in the production and distribution of a feature film, a screen version of its hit documentary stage musical “London Road”. The screen adaptation by Alecky Blythe, who wrote the theatrical … Continue reading

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Simon Russell Beale’s ‘King Lear’ headed to cinema screens

By Ray Bennett LONDON – The National Theatre announced that NT Live will show the landmark Sam Mendes production of “King Lear” starring Simon Russell Beale on cinema screens across the UK and around the world on May 1. It is … Continue reading

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THEATRE REVIEW: Lester and Kinnear in ‘Othello’

By Ray Bennett Nicholas Hytner’s production of “Othello” at the National Theatre has drawn rave reviews from UK critics and in the theatre it was easy to be consumed by the power of the play and the great acting, but … Continue reading

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THEATRE REVIEW: Mike Leigh’s ‘Grief’ at the National

By Ray Bennett LONDON (The Hollywood Reporter) – Mike Leigh’s new play “Grief” is the complete opposite of his film “Happy-Go Lucky” with a family rendered almost cataleptic by personal loss and the gloom of post-World War II England. Given … Continue reading

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THEATRE REVIEW: ‘London Road’ at the National

By Ray Bennett LONDON – “London Road” is a documentary musical about the impact of a serial killer on one community with words spoken and sung to match the original phrasing and cadence of people who lived where the murders … Continue reading

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THEATRE REVIEW: Danny Boyle directs ‘Frankenstein’

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Fans of Danny Boyle’s movies such as “Slumdog Millionaire” and “127 Hours” will not be surprised to learn that his return to the stage directing a new play at the National Theatre based on Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” is … Continue reading

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THEATRE REVIEW: Peter Hall directs ‘Twelfth Night’

By Ray Bennett LONDON – British stage legend Peter Hall celebrates his 80th birthday by directing his movie star daughter Rebecca Hall in a lyrical and musical production of Shakespeare’s gender-bending comedy Twelfth Night that shows his touch is as … Continue reading

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THEATRE REVIEW: Alan Ayckbourn’s ‘Seasons Greetings’

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Alan Ayckbourn’s parochial English comedy Season’s Greetings seeks to burst the illusion of happy families at Christmastime but the set-up and characters are so contrived that it runs like a clock that needs winding. Nothing … Continue reading

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