Tag Archives: National Theatre

Writer: Molière, adapted by John Donnelly Director: Blanche McIntyre Reviewer: Scott Matthewman It seems that Molière’s tale of a conman posing as a man of faith who inveigles his way into a high society family has a resonance with today’s theatre audience. How else could one explain this, the third version in a year of Tartuffe, following Christopher Hampton’s West ...

Writer: William Shakespeare Adaptor:  Justin Audibert Director: Ruth Mary Johnson Reviewer: David Guest Young people know how to be hopeful and happy even when adults are acting childishly around them. That’s an oversimplification, but it’s certainly one of the themes explored in an enjoyable one hour version of The Winter’s Tale at the National Theatre. Kids aren’t bothered that it’s one ...

Writer: Martin Crimp Director: Katie Mitchell Reviewer: Maryam Philpott The National’s first big show of 2019 was causing controversy long before rehearsals began with the announcement that the show would take place in the small Dorfman theatre and members would have to try their luck in the ballot with everyone else. With plot details in lock-down and warnings of potentially ...

Writer and Director: Anthony Neilson Reviewer:  Richard Maguire   The National Theatre’s recipe for Christmas: Take a classic Edgar Allan Poe story and season with plenty of Hitchcock; Add a splash of The Exorcist and a pinch of Misery; Place in The Dorfman for two and a half hours; Serve with postmodern irony. It’s definitely a recipe for success. Surprisingly, The Tell-Tale Heart is Anthony ...

Music, Book and Lyrics: Anaïs Mitchell Director: Rachel Chavkin Reviewer: Scott Matthewman There are many stars that have aligned to create Hadestown, a hellishly magnificent new musical based on Anaïs Mitchell’s 2010 concept album which reframes the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in the grand tradition of the music of the American South. Chief among them is Mitchell herself, ...

Writer: William Shakespeare Director: Rufus Norris Reviewer: Dominic Corr Despite its notoriety as the pinnacle of the theatrical world, few can adapt the Bard's words well. We all know the tale, or at least we boast about knowing it. Macbeth is far from a straightforward production. A step to the left and it becomes dreary, dank and uninteresting. A tad ...

Writer and Director: Nina Raine Reviewer:  Richard Maguire Hot on the heels of Consent, which scored a West End transfer for the National, comes Nina Raine’s new play Stories, charting one woman’s journey to find a sperm donor. Despite some very fine acting, Stories seems like a pilot for an abandoned TV sitcom from twenty years ago. Anna wants a baby and reaching ...

Writer: David Hare Director: Neil Armfield Reviewer: Scott Matthewman The title of David Hare’s new play (the 17thto be presented at the National) is laden with multiple meanings. There’s the literal one, of course: the central character is Siân Brooke’s Pauline Gibson, who as a popular independent MP is rumoured to be joining the Labour Party and making a leadership ...