REVIEW: Network, Lyttelton, National Theatre ✭✭✭✭✭
Paul T Davies reviews Lee Hall’s adaptation of Network starring Bryan Cranston, Douglas Henshall and Michelle Dockery at the National Theatre.
Paul T Davies reviews Lee Hall’s adaptation of Network starring Bryan Cranston, Douglas Henshall and Michelle Dockery at the National Theatre.
The National Theatre have announced that Douglas Henshall will play Max Schumacher in the world premiere of Network – Lee Hall’s new adaptation of the Oscar-winning film by Paddy Chayefsky. Henshall joins Tony Award winner Bryan Cranston as Howard Beale and Michelle Dockery as Diana Christenson. Network will be directed by Ivo Van Hove. Howard Beale, news anchor-man, isn’t pulling in the viewers. In his final broadcast he unravels live on screen. But when the ratings soar, the network seizes on their new found populist prophet, and Howard becomes the biggest thing on TV. Network depicts a dystopian media landscape where opinion trumps fact. Hilarious and horrifying by turns, the iconic film by Paddy Chayefsky won four Academy Awards in 1976. Network will have set and lighting design by Jan Versweyveld, video design by Tal Yarden, costume design by An D’Huys, music and sound design by Eric Sleichim. A very … Read more
The National Theatre has announced that its critically-acclaimed, sold-out production of Ibsen’s Hebba Gabler will tour the UK from October 2017 to March 2018. This new version of Ibsen’s masterpiece by Patrick Marber, is directed by acclaimed Olivier and Tony award-winning director Ivo Van Hove. Just married. Bored already. Hedda longs to be free… Patrick Marber said: ‘It has been a huge honour to work with the great Ivo van Hove on this version of Hedda Gabler at the National Theatre. I am thrilled that this tour will enable more people to see his incredible production.’ Lizzy Watts plays the title role and will be joined by Madlena Nedeva (Berte), Christine Kavanagh (Juliana), Abhin Galeya (Tesman), Annabel Bates (Thea), Adam Best (Brack) and Richard Pyros (Lovborg). Set and lighting design for Hedda Gabler is by Jan Versweyveld, with costume design by An D’Huys and sound by Tom Gibbons. The Associate … Read more
Van Hove’s production is never less than interesting, creating memorable stage pictures, and containing powerful, committed, acting from the ensemble.
What we have here is a clear successor to ‘Mamma Mia’, in that the show takes a seminal back-catalogue and lifts from it a mix of tracks to elaborate and decorate a strongly dramatic tale that happens to chime harmoniously with the personality of the musical and lyrical content.
Rafe Spall joins Ruth Wilson in Ivo Van Hove’s new production of Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler at the National Theatre. Book Now.
Before his passing, David Bowie and Edna Walsh premiered their new musical Lazarus in New York. Producers announced today that the show will have its London premiere in October 2016. Lazarus is inspired by the book, The Man Who Fell To Earth. Thomas Newton, as he remains still on Earth – a ‘man’ unable to die, his head soaked in cheap gin and haunted by a past love. We follow Newton during the course of a few days where the arrival of another lost soul – might set him finally free. Lazarus had its world premiere at the New York Theatre Workshop in November 2015, selling out in record time. The London production will see the show’s New York leads Michael C Hall, Michael Esper, and Sophia Anne Caruso, reprising their roles. Further casting will be announced soon. Lazarus is directed by Ivo Van Hove, sets and lighting design by … Read more
Stephens shares writing credits for Song From Far Away with Mark Eitzel who provides the lyrics and music for a haunting, quite beautiful song, pieces of which punctuate the action. The song has a repeat motif: Go where the love is, Where the love is go. In its own way, that repeat motif provides the key to Willem. You can’t help but feel that if the character had simply paid attention to the song, no one would have had to endure the 80 minute self-flagellation.