To coincide with Howard Davies’ production of Sean O'Casey’s The Silver Tassie, I produced this short film looking at the playwright’s relationship with the Abbey Theatre which came to an abrupt end with this play.
Playwright Carl Miller and children’s authors Philip Pullman and Michael Rosen reflect on Erich Kästner and the historical context in which Emil and the Detectives was created and published, in the midst of great cultural and political change in Germany.
Go behind the scenes and into the rehearsal room of From Morning to Midnight with director Melly Still and writer Dennis Kelly, who have adapted Georg Kaiser’s German Expressionist masterpiece for the Lyttelton Theatre.
Find more information on the show click here click here.
Here are four short films created as part of a filmmaking competition I set-up, a collaboration between National Theatre and IdeasTap. Each team saw the show, took part in a story workshop and were assigned a professional filmmaker to support them and, I hope you’ll agree, the results are very different and fascinating.
Here’s the full playlist of National Histories event, a series of conversations with key people from the National Theatre’s 50 years reflecting on their experiences. A personal favourite is Jim Carter and Imelda Staunton, who first met at the National in 1982 whilst working on Guys and Dolls.
Mark Thompson talks about his work as designer for the National Theatre’s once-in-a-lifetime performance ‘50 years on stage’ that will be broadcast live from the Olivier stage on BBC Two on Saturday 2 November at 9pm.
This once-in-a-lifetime performance features many of the most celebrated actors who have performed on our stages over the past five decades and is directed by Nicholas Hytner.
Here’s something I produced (filmed by Tim Marrinan and edited by Chloe White), a film celebrating Erich Kästner’s Emil and the Detective - the story, the characters, Berlin - and looks at the upcoming National Theatre production featuring interviews with Sally Gardner, Gillian Lathey, Carl Miller, Philip Pulman and Michael Rosen.
In the third National Histories Platform event, husband and wife Jim Carter and Imelda Staunton celebrate their favourite NT performances and remember first meeting whilst working on Richard Eyre’s 1982 production of Guys and Dolls.
For more recordings from the National Histories Platform events click here.
A look ahead at upcoming shows in The Shed with Ben Power (Associate Director, National Theatre) and a peek into rehearsals and workshops for some of the plays as they prepare.
Ben Power talks about the upcoming shows in The Shed and reflects on it’s first 6 months.
As part of our 50th anniversary celebrations - key NT actors, writers and directors answer the same ten questions about the National in a series of special National Histories Platforms.
First up, Nancy Carroll and Alex Jennings reflect on the National’s history and talk about their favourite NT performances, what productions they wish they had seen and their unsung heroes.
Simon McBurney and Judith Dimant reflect on 30 years of Complicite with Louise Jeffreys (Director of Arts, Barbican). This is a recording of a live Platform event.
For more information on upcoming Platform events, including the special 50th anniversary Platform series click here.
For recordings of past Platform events click here.
National Theatre’s film production of Romeo & Juliet premieres in the US on PBS at 9pm Friday 23 April. Starring Josh O’Connor and Jessie Buckley in the lead roles, it was filmed over seventeen days in an empty theatre during the pandemic
It’s definitely one of the best things I’ve seen this year – go check it out!
[ And it’s still available to watch in the UK on Sky Arts ]
National Theatre Bookshop, SE1. Has one of the best collections of in print drama texts anywhere in the world. All the classics and contemporary greats are covered here. Currently there is a glorious plethora of Three Penny Opera goodies going. Beyond the bundles of Brechtian bounty many unique gifts and texts are available. If you have a penchant for plays you had better give yourself decent time for browsing before the curtain comes up! The functional brutalist architecture of the National’s complex provides many hidey holes for curling up with a book and an excellent cup of the black stuff from one of their many bars. If they let you sleep there you could probably stay well over a week and never get bored. cerainly worth the surrender of an entire Saturday. https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk
