#national theatre live

[the-tenth-arcanum]

signal boost!! (link)

#I saw it when it came out in theatres well worth the watch #othello #shakespeare #theatre #national theatre #national theatre live

[moxyphinx]

SOPHIE OKONEDO as CLEOPATRA in ANTONY & CLEOPATRA

#sophie okonedo #cleopatra #antony and cleopatra #william shakespeare #national theatre live #shakespearedit #theatreedit #gif #mine #theatre* #so* #* #sophie okonedo saturday #IF I SPEAK-

[dreadfuldevotee]

Do as you please, Live, by all means! The laws you will break are not of man's making

#antigone #antigone 2012 #jodie whittaker #theatreedit #national theatre #national theatre live #nt live #greek drama #sophocles #antigone posting #if youre seeing this again its cuz my old acc got obliterated saur

[softdeb]

I won’t make something that makes demands. Nor will I be depended on.

RUTH WILSON as HEDDA

National Theatre Live: Hedda Gabler (2017)

#gifs #ruth wilson #hedda gabler #henrik ibsen #national theatre live #national theatre #theatreedit #dailyactresses #cw gun #ruthhedda

[bcth-uk]

Benedict Cumberbatch Week A look back - National Theatre Live: Frankenstein (2011)

#BCWeek2023 #Benedict Cumberbatch #Frankenstein #Creaturebatch #National Theatre Live #NTLive #benedictcumberbatchedit #theatreedit #theateredit #theatregifs #National Theatre #theatre #cinemapix #userbbelcher #chewieblog #useroptional #userthing #BC #Frankenstein 2011 #National Theatre Live Frankenstein

[too-funky]

New trailer for Good, which will be shown in UK cinemas from 20 April and international cinemas from 15 June

#david tennant #sharon small #elliot levey #good #good the play #national theatre #national theatre live

[killerqueen-82]

Michael Sheen and Helen Mirren reunion on ITV talking about the NHS and National Theatre Live 💕

#michael sheen #helen mirren #nye #national theatre live #nhs #those curls tho #beautiful beautiful man

[scotchnlondonfogg]

It's been two weeks since I was able to take in a viewing of the National Theatre Live production of "Good." I find it is still very much in my thoughts. As I hadn't reviewed it yet, now is a good a time as any (pardon the pun).

I purchased a copy of the screenplay, and if I hadn't seen the production in advance, it would have made for a tough and confusing read. Not unlike Shakespeare plays, this is a play that needs to be seen in performance to make sense. Between the time jumps and the quick cuts of dialogue and scenes it does not lend itself to the reader.

The West End revival of "Good" was supposed to take place originally back in 2020. But as we all know, the world ground to a halt, theatre's and live performance taking an especially hard hit. By some miracle, all three original actors were able to keep to their promise of being in this revival production.

The play, written by CP Taylor, takes place in 1930s Germany over a span of around eight years. It follows a "good" man and how such a good person could, unknowingly, be led into evil.

This revival production has three main actors, two of whom play a multitude of parts. The always mesmerizing David Tennant is the lead protagonist playing John Halder. Halder believes himself to be a good person, and a happy one, he does not see himself drifting into the evils of the Nazi regime. His character has a wife and children and a mother who has dementia. He hears a lot of music in his head. Music is peppered through the play, as a dramatic device it denotes Halder's detachment from reality. Halder also has an inability to listen to others, he has a case of narcissism in his character. Tennant subtly portrays a lurking darkness, that has always been there, under an bookish and affable exterior. He pretends to be concerned for others, but is always acting with selfish motivations. It is stunning and chilling.

Tennant's fellow actors, Elliot Levey and Sharon Small, play multiple roles. Elliot Levey plays Maurice, Halder's best, and only, friend. In addition he plays a range of characters and Nazi supervisors. Elliot imbues Maurice with a sense of growing panic and betrayal as he watches the horrors unfold before him. How can his best friend not help get out of the danger? How can Halder not see what is actually happening around them?

Halder: This is still a capitalist country. The real power is in the hand of the capitalists. They can't afford to have a mystic idealist running their country...this is a temporary aberration.

Maurice: He doesn't listen to people. I'm telling you. There is legislation coming in the next few days...in the next day...today...maybe yesterday.

Halder is above the conflicts in many ways because of his background, and his constant self-justification and moral emptiness will mean he betrays his 'good' sense of self. He rationalizes everything, even when he's in the middle of the "night of the broken glass" (the Anti-Jewish pogroms that took place in November of 1938). He's a literature professor and he doesn't make much of the book burning at the University, as long as he can keep his copies of his books, since his superior has disguised his jazz music records in order to keep them.

Freddie: All right, Johnnie? Can I leave that to you?

Halder: As long as I can keep my copies, Freddie.

Freddie: I've got my jungle music haven't I?

Sharon Small plays Helen - Halder's wife, his mother with dementia, Anne - his mistress, and a couple of fellow SS officers. As Helen, Small portrays a sense of constant putting down of herself, she's frequently looking down at the floor. As Halder's mother, she hunches and shrinks down a bit in stature. If it all sounds confusing to watch, it could have been. However, Levey and Small did a tremendous job of using body language and vocal inflections to keep the characters separate. Once you quickly cotton on to the switches, it works because of these top shelf actors. The stage direction also helps via stage lighting and music to denote scene changes. Seeing this on film was amazing, those that got to see it live on stage, that would have been genuine stage magic.

The strength of this play, through CP Taylor's writing, shows you the varied ways that people delude themselves and shut out realities in front of them. The mentality of "surely they won't take it that far" is a comfortable place to reside. Humans have their fallibles and their ways of convincing themselves "it won't happen to me." Those attitudes will never change. But seeing media like this can help open dialogues among people to hopefully at least step back and think "would I know how to back out and not be a part of the problem?" It makes you ponder tough questions about your own sense of self. In this age of digital division and politics deepening the divide between us all, it is worth trying to see things from the other perspective, and speaking up if you think actions are going too far.

I sincerely hope National Theatre Live adds this to their online "watch at home" option once the movie screening run is concluded. Everyone deserves the chance to see this play.

#david tennant #theatre #good the play #national theatre live

[tiffanyachings]

this might be the hymn enthusiast in me talking but i genuinely think one of the best bits of the bridge theatre’s midsummer is the opening. you KNEW this was gonna be good as soon as they started banging that drum

#FAIR BRIDE RECEIVE HIS LOVE FORGET THY FATHER'S HOUSE; FORSAKE THY GODS THY IDOL GODS AND PAY THY LORD THY VOWS #a midsummer night's dream #shakespeare #theatre #national theatre live

[maggiecheungs]

IAN MCKELLEN as KING LEAR dir. Jonathan Munby (2018)

#ian mckellen #king lear #Shakespeare #theatre #national theatre #national theatre live #Jonathan munby #sir ian mckellen #king Lear 2018 #eye contact tw #ellisgifs #one of the great performances of all time #queue

[queenofinys]

RUTH WILSON in The National Theatre’s HEDDA GABLER (2017)

#ruth wilson #hedda gabler #theatreedit #useraish #help i don't know what tags to use when it's not broadway AND not a musical #national theatre #national theatre live #henrik ibsen #play #maya edits #me when i'm having a bad day: maybe i'll watch a woman not leaving her house and going insane to the soundtrack of joni mitchell #to make myself feel... better? not better #anyways #not enough energy to do anything interesting but this line always gets me so #have a super simple boring gifset

[securityholograms]

Andrew Garfield in NT Live: Angels in America

#andrew garfield #theatre gifs #angels in america #national theatre live #might’ve posted this on my old account but who knows

[moiraiinesedai]

Sophie Okonedo and Ralph Fiennes in National Theatre’s Antony and Cleopatra

Photos by Johan Persson and Matt Humphrey (x)

#Sophie Okonedo #Ralph Fiennes #Antony and Cleopatra #Shakespeare #Antony #Cleopatra #National Theatre #National Theatre Live #NT at Home #Johan Persson #Matt Humphrey #behind the scenes #bts #stage #stage plays #play #photography

[softdeb]

RUTH WILSON and RAFE SPALL as HEDDA and BRACK

National Theatre Live: Hedda Gabler (2017)

#gifs #hedda gabler #henrik ibsen #ruth wilson #rafe spall #national theatre #national theatre live #live theatre #theatreedit #ruthhedda

[denimbex1986]

Last night I saw National Theatre Live's Vanya at my local cinema and a few hours shy of a full day later, I'm still thinking about it. All I can say is that it's an absolutely brilliant production - one that has no doubt introduced and will introduce a whole new generation and audience to Chekhov's work - that I would recommend everyone goes to watch.

I've seen a lot of shows over the years but none and nothing like this one. I tip my metaphorical hat to writer Simon Stephens, director Sam Yates, all the crew and, in particular, Andrew Scott who delivered a genuinely phenomenal performance - well done Sir! 👏👏👏

#Andrew Scott #Chekhov #Vanya #National Theatre Live #Sam Yates #Simon Stephens

[too-funky]

Who is uncomplicated? Who is without moments of selfishness? And without moments of selflessness? John Halder has both, and that is what makes the journey he goes on all the more fascinating and chilling, actually, because I think we can all see ourselves in John Halder, to some extent.

David Tennant, Elliot Levey, Sharon Small, and director Dominic Cooke talk about Good ahead of its cinema release with National Theatre Live

#david tennant #elliot levey #sharon small #dominic cooke #good #good the play #national theatre #national theatre live