Tag Archives: National Theatre

THEATRE REVIEW: ‘Statement of Regret’ at the National Theatre

Posted on November 17, 2007 by admin

By Ray Bennett The conflict between blacks of direct African descent and their Caribbean cousins is at the heart of British playwright Kwame Kwei-Armah’s third play, “Statement of Regret.” While clearly a source of considerable anguish for those concerned, the … Continue reading →

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THEATRE REVIEW: Nick Stafford’s ‘War Horse’

Posted on October 26, 2007 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – It’s an imposing puppet made of bamboo, nylon, bicycle chain and leather, and its three human operators are clearly visible, but not long into the National Theatre’s captivating production of “War Horse,” the steed in … Continue reading →

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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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CANNES FILM REVIEW: Malcolm McDowell in ‘Never Apologize’

Posted on May 30, 2007 by admin

By Ray Bennett CANNES – Malcolm McDowell offers a reminder of the tremendous charisma he has onscreen in this film of his one-man stage show, “Never Apologize,” about the late British filmmaker Lindsay Anderson (pictured). The film is almost entirely McDowell … 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: ‘The Rose Tattoo’ at the National

Posted on April 3, 2007 by admin

By Ray Bennett The incomparable Maureen Stapleton, who died in 2006, played Serafina delle Rosa, the red hot Sicilian mama in Tennessee Williams’ “The Rose Tattoo” when it opened on Broadway in 1951. Stapleton and co-star Eli Wallach won Tony … Continue reading →

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THEATRE REVIEW: ‘Measure for Measure’

Posted on February 16, 2006 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Simon McBurney’s riveting modern dress production of ‘Measure to Measure’ at the National Theatre, using his team from Complicite, renders Shakespeare’s play about the corrosively seductive nature of power dazzlingly pertinent. McBurney creates a Vienna … Continue reading →

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THEATRE REVIEW: ‘Coram Boy’ at the National

Posted on November 16, 2005 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – The National’s production of “Corum Boy” is the most thrilling, moving and intoxicating piece of theater since the last time it adapted a children’s book for grown-ups, Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” almost two years … Continue reading →

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THEATRE REVIEW: ‘Theatre of Blood’ at the National

Posted on July 26, 2005 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – The very camp but wickedly amusing 1973 film “Theatre of Blood”, which starred Vincent Price as a bad Shakespearean actor who murders his critics using devices employed in the Bard’s plays, has been adapted by … Continue reading →

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THEATRE REVIEW: ‘Henry IV Part 1 and Part 2’

Posted on May 5, 2005 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Nicholas Hytner’s immaculate National Theatre production of William Shakespeare’s “Henry IV, Part 1” is so vibrant and enthralling that it cries out to finally be made as a movie. Michael Gambon as Falstaff (above) and … Continue reading →

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