For various reasons, I've kind of lost touch with "N.T. Live" in recent months and missed more than a few shows. Sometimes this has been through circumstance, and sometimes through choice. I, for one, really didn't fancy the "horsey puppet show" for example, but other people seem to find it "fantastic" or "deeply moving" so it appears to have done quite well without me.
Anyway, after a bit of a break, we stormed back into the arms of "N.T. Live" by attending last night's viewing of "King Lear" in which Simon Russell Beale plays Shakespeare's eponymous tragic king in a production directed by Sam Mendes. If anything was likely to drag me back, then it was going to be Shakespeare, after having enjoyed stunning productions of "Macbeth", "Othello" and "Coriolanus" last year, and after all I've heard about Simon Russell Beale over the years, it really was about time I saw him doing his thing.
Anyway, after a bit of a break, we stormed back into the arms of "N.T. Live" by attending last night's viewing of "King Lear" in which Simon Russell Beale plays Shakespeare's eponymous tragic king in a production directed by Sam Mendes. If anything was likely to drag me back, then it was going to be Shakespeare, after having enjoyed stunning productions of "Macbeth", "Othello" and "Coriolanus" last year, and after all I've heard about Simon Russell Beale over the years, it really was about time I saw him doing his thing.
For those of you who still don't know what "N.T. Live" actually is, well, it's basically transmission of live theatre productions into cinemas around the country and the world, the initial broadcast happening simultaneously with its performance in the West End, the South Bank or, indeed, elsewhere, and has become a bit of a phenomenon in getting people to see theatre productions that they might otherwise never get to see, and in recording rather brilliant performances from actors at the top of their game for future generations to admire. Last night's show was, apparently, being broadcast to over 1000 theatres and 35 countries worldwide which isn't half bad and was probably far more "bums on seats" than the theatrical run could hope to muster.
Now, "Lear" is a long play, as I once discovered when I saw what I thought was going to be a "reduced" production by an independent Theatre Company a few years ago whilst I had raging toothache. They did the full text as I sat there, desperately waiting for the end, as wafts of an unwise application of clove oil drifted into the noses of the members of the audience unlucky enough to be near to me.
The length of the play meant a fairly early start, the usual anxiety about parking at the cinema, and the prospect of early interruptions as all those people who believe that all theatre must start at 7:30pm are allowed to come in and take their seats, but that didn't put me off and, because tickets for the evening were the "Mother's Day" treat the Beloved had bought for her mother, it was necessary for me to collect her from home whilst the Beloved herself made her way to the venue by public transport, and so we didn't have time for the usual pre-theatre meal.
No matter - I was still feeling pretty stuffed from the over-indulgences in restaurants during our recent weekend away, and skipping a meal or twelve really wouldn't do my waistline any harm.
Anyway, after getting the tickets and nattering over a cup of cinema coffee and a bag or two of crisps, we took our seats and, despite one or two noisy moments as the staff chatted in the doorway behind us, and one very unfortunate sound and vision problem towards the end of the first half, settled ourselves down to enjoy something which was a rather special piece of theatre.
In this version, Shakespeare's tragic tale of families, parents, daughters, old age and madness is given a suitably modern spin in which a central powerhouse of a performance by Simon Russell Beale which takes its cue from the idea that Lear's madness grew more out of dementia rather than anything else, and becomes all the more heart-breaking for that, and sometimes felt far more close to home than felt entirely comfortable.
I'm not going to dwell upon the plot, the scenery, the unexpected nudity (which is referenced in the text and therefore totally justifiable, and included a spectacularly funny aside from Tom Brooke playing Edgar…) or the fantastically brilliant cast because there are plenty of people far more qualified than I am to comment upon that, but, for me at least, it really was powerful stuff, and also made me think that a version of it could be very happily played out in the boardrooms and power dressing environment of TV's "The Apprentice" (with Lear played as Sir Alan…?) if anyone feels like taking a crack at that…?
Well, I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought that it was really very powerful stuff and did indeed gasp at some of the violence, which would, I hope, please the star of the show as he had suggested in his interviews.
My enjoyment was, it seems, despite the fact that some of the audience seemed to find the tragic ending (if it's not too much of a "spoiler" in a 410 year old play…) and all of the suicides "hilarious" and we left the auditorium listening to some idiot expounding upon how "far-fetched" they had found it all which kind of made me wonder why they'd bothered, if I'm being honest. After all, it's not as if you can't easily find out what it is that you're going to get with one of Shakespeare's most famous tragedies, is it?
Ah well, it was late at night, I suppose…
Now, "Lear" is a long play, as I once discovered when I saw what I thought was going to be a "reduced" production by an independent Theatre Company a few years ago whilst I had raging toothache. They did the full text as I sat there, desperately waiting for the end, as wafts of an unwise application of clove oil drifted into the noses of the members of the audience unlucky enough to be near to me.
The length of the play meant a fairly early start, the usual anxiety about parking at the cinema, and the prospect of early interruptions as all those people who believe that all theatre must start at 7:30pm are allowed to come in and take their seats, but that didn't put me off and, because tickets for the evening were the "Mother's Day" treat the Beloved had bought for her mother, it was necessary for me to collect her from home whilst the Beloved herself made her way to the venue by public transport, and so we didn't have time for the usual pre-theatre meal.
No matter - I was still feeling pretty stuffed from the over-indulgences in restaurants during our recent weekend away, and skipping a meal or twelve really wouldn't do my waistline any harm.
Anyway, after getting the tickets and nattering over a cup of cinema coffee and a bag or two of crisps, we took our seats and, despite one or two noisy moments as the staff chatted in the doorway behind us, and one very unfortunate sound and vision problem towards the end of the first half, settled ourselves down to enjoy something which was a rather special piece of theatre.
In this version, Shakespeare's tragic tale of families, parents, daughters, old age and madness is given a suitably modern spin in which a central powerhouse of a performance by Simon Russell Beale which takes its cue from the idea that Lear's madness grew more out of dementia rather than anything else, and becomes all the more heart-breaking for that, and sometimes felt far more close to home than felt entirely comfortable.
I'm not going to dwell upon the plot, the scenery, the unexpected nudity (which is referenced in the text and therefore totally justifiable, and included a spectacularly funny aside from Tom Brooke playing Edgar…) or the fantastically brilliant cast because there are plenty of people far more qualified than I am to comment upon that, but, for me at least, it really was powerful stuff, and also made me think that a version of it could be very happily played out in the boardrooms and power dressing environment of TV's "The Apprentice" (with Lear played as Sir Alan…?) if anyone feels like taking a crack at that…?
Well, I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought that it was really very powerful stuff and did indeed gasp at some of the violence, which would, I hope, please the star of the show as he had suggested in his interviews.
My enjoyment was, it seems, despite the fact that some of the audience seemed to find the tragic ending (if it's not too much of a "spoiler" in a 410 year old play…) and all of the suicides "hilarious" and we left the auditorium listening to some idiot expounding upon how "far-fetched" they had found it all which kind of made me wonder why they'd bothered, if I'm being honest. After all, it's not as if you can't easily find out what it is that you're going to get with one of Shakespeare's most famous tragedies, is it?
Ah well, it was late at night, I suppose…
No comments:
Post a Comment