Category Archives: Theatre

THEATRE REVIEW: Noel Coward’s ‘Present Laughter’

Posted on October 5, 2007 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON — Noel Coward’s brittle and pathetic self-portrait of the matinee idol as the center of the universe is preserved more or less under glass in the National Theatre’s glossy new production. The play is set in … Continue reading →

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THEATRE REVIEW: Patrick Stewart in ‘Macbeth’

Posted on September 29, 2007 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Seldom can Shakespeare’s murky Scottish tragedy “Macbeth” been have staged with so much clarity and emotional punch as in Rupert Goold’s exhilarating production at London’s Gielgud Theatre. It stars Patrick Stewart in probably the finest performance of … Continue reading →

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THEATRE REVIEW: ‘Parade’ at the Donmar Warehouse

Posted on September 26, 2007 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Tony-winning choreographer Rob Ashford’s Donmar Warehouse revival of the 1998 American musical “Parade,” which is based on the notorious 1913 murder trial of Leo Frank, is an enthralling testament to the wisdom of revisiting strong … Continue reading →

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All about Alberto Iglesias in Almodovar’s film on stage

Posted on September 14, 2007 by admin

By Ray Bennett Kevin Spacey’s tenure as artistic director of London’s Old Vic continues apace with a marvelous stage version of “All About My Mother” running through Nov. 24. Not least of its many charms is the film’s beautiful original … Continue reading →

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THEATRE REVIEW: ‘All About My Mother’ at The Old Vic

Posted on September 13, 2007 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Great movies become good remakes almost never, but Samuel Adamson’s inventive, funny and touching play “All About My Mother,” based on Pedro Almo-dovar’s Oscar-winning 1999 film, makes a strong case at the Old Vic that … Continue reading →

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THEATRE REVIEW: ‘The Lord of the Rings’

Posted on June 27, 2007 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON — A transatlantic trip appears to have done wonders for the epic stage version of “The Lord of the Rings” that has just opened in the West End following a dire opening run in Toronto. What … Continue reading →

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THEATRE REVIEW: Orson Welles’s ‘Around the World’

Posted on June 26, 2007 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – The concert presentation of the musical “Around the World,” created in 1946 by Orson Welles and Cole Porter (below left) from the Jules Verne novel about Phileas Fogg traversing the globe in 80 days, has … Continue reading →

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THEATRE REVIEW: ‘A Matter of Life and Death’

Posted on May 15, 2007 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Kneehigh Theatre’s highly energetic adaptation of the fondly recalled 1946 fantasy film “A Matter of Life and Death” at the National is staged cleverly and it is quite entertaining, but for fans of the movie … Continue reading →

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THEATRE REVIEW: ‘On the Town’ at the London Coliseum

Posted on May 1, 2007 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON — Thoughts of “On the Town” are influenced by recollections of the 1949 film version starring Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra, which landed at No. 19 on the American Film Institute’s list of all-time great film … Continue reading →

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Frank Langella is the right man for film of ‘Frost/Nixon’

Posted on May 1, 2007 by admin

By Ray Bennett Anthony Quayle created onstage the role that Laurence Olivier took in the film version of the mystery drama “Sleuth” and when I asked him if it was any consolation that the great knight of English drama had … Continue reading →

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