Theatre News

Phedre Gets NT Live Encore, New Season Dates

Editorial Staff
London's West End

Cinemagoers will have a second chance to see the National Theatre’s stage production of Phedre, starring Helen Mirren. There will be an encore screening of the Greek tragedy, which inaugurated the NT Live in June 2009, on 23 September 2010. The second view of Phedre, shown on UK and European cinema screens, celebrates the success of the first season of the initiative – which saw NT productions broadcast live to over 165,000 people on 320 screens in 22 countries – and heralds the launch of the second season.

The full schedule for the second season has now been confirmed, including, as previously reported, first-time NT Live collaborations with external companies: Complicite and the Donmar Warehouse, whose productions of, respectively, A Disappearing Number and King Lear will be filmed at the Theatre Royal Plymouth and the Donmar’s home base in Covent Garden, London.

The 2010/2011 NT Live screenings are as follows:

  • 23 September 2010 – Phedre (encore screening)
  • 14 October 2010 – Complicite’s A Disappearing Number – Revival of Complicite’s multi award-winning play, directed by Simon McBurney, broadcast from Theatre Royal Plymouth
  • 9 December 2010 – Hamlet – Starring Rory Kinnear and Clare Higgins, directed by Nicholas Hytner, broadcast from the NT Olivier
  • 13 January 2011 – Fela! – Transfer of Broadway afrobeat musical about Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, starring Sahr Ngaujah, broadcast from the NT Olivier
  • 3 February 2011 – King Lear – Starring Derek Jacobi in the title role, directed by Michael Grandage, broadcast from the Donmar Warehouse
  • 17 March 2011 – Frankenstein – Nick Dear’s adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic Gothic novel, directed by Danny Boyle in a rare return to the stage, broadcast from the NT Olivier
  • 30 June 2011 – The Cherry Orchard – Starring Zoe Wanamaker and directed by Howard Davies, broadcast from the NT Olivier

All NT Live performances are filmed live in high definition and broadcast via satellite to participating cinemas – the number which has grown from an initial 150 to more than 320 now in the US as well as the US, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Scandinavia and Europe. NT Live is funded in partnership with Arts Council England and NESTA and supported internationally by Travelex.

NT artistic director Nicholas Hytner commented today: “We couldn’t have foreseen that the experimental National Theatre Live season would be such a hit with audiences around the world, who are hungry to see our work in their local cinema. We’re delighted that we can confidently build on its success with a second season of broadcasts, and warmly welcome our partnerships with Complicite and the Donmar Warehouse.”

For a list of participating locations and ticket information, visit www.ntlive.com.