NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE: NATIONAL THEATRE 50 YEARS ON STAGE (TV)
Summary
This televised program celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the Royal National Theatre in London and features a series of scenes from the many plays staged at the theatre over the last half-century, performed live by a number of its most acclaimed actors, directors and writers. The program begins as actor Tom Hiddleston comments on his current production of "Coriolanus" by William Shakespeare, highlighting its themes of the "private war" inside those elected to lead. The theatre was established in 1963 by acclaimed thespian Laurence Olivier and was originally housed at the Old Vic theatre in Waterloo. Current artistic director Nicholas Hytner comments on Olivier's commitment to the theatre's success, noting he directed Peter O'Toole in "Hamlet" as the very first production and later played the lead role in "Othello" himself, staging contemporary works as well as classics. A new theatre was constructed on the South Bank, with Olivier repeatedly defending its expense and contemporary style, and composer Stephen Sondheim explains how it actually contains three distinctive theatres within one building. The new building was completed in 1976, and Olivier christened the opening with his own final stage appearance. He was succeeded as artistic director over the years by Peter Hall, Richard Eyre and Trevor Nunn, all of whom comment on the challenges of the job.
Hytner talks to his actors about the anniversary show, in which they will have only two hours to cover the theatre's fifty-year history with a selected series of scenes, and the first piece staged is the opening scene of "Hamlet," performed by Matthew Barker, Stanley Townsend, Anna Maxwell Martin, Adrian Lester and Derek Jacobi, also featuring the recorded voice of Richard Hampton, the first actor to ever speak lines upon the theatre's stage. Maggie Smith and Olivier's widow Joan Plowright offers their memories of "Larry," and clips are shown of the 1963 production of "The Recruiting Officer," written by George Farquhar and starring Olivier, Plowright and Robert Stephens, and of the 1963 "Uncle Vanya" by Anton Chekhov, starring Olivier and Plowright. Plowright then performs a monologue from "Saint Joan" by George Bernard Shaw onstage. Actor Benedict Cumberbatch comments on the "Hamlet"-inspired comedy "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead" by Tom Stoppard, and then performs a scene from the play with Kobna Holdbrook-Smith. A clip is shown from the 1964 production of "Hay Fever" by Noël Coward, starring Maggie Smith and Anthony Nicholls, and Smith takes the stage to perform a monologue from "The Beaux' Stratagem" by Farquhar.
Deborah Findlay comments on Peter Nichols' satirical "state of the nation" plays, then performing a scene from "The National Health" with other members of the company. Jacobi and Michael Gambon chat about the inscrutable playwright Harold Pinter and then perform a scene from his "No Man's Land" onstage. Penelope Wilton talks about the comedic plays of Alan Ayckbourn, and then performs a scene from "Bedroom Farce" with Nicholas le Provost. A clip is shown from the 1979 production of Peter Shaffer's "Amadeus" starring Paul Scofield, and Clive Rowe and the rest of the company perform the "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" scene from the musical "Guys and Dolls" by Frank Loesser, Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. Ralph Fiennes comments on Anthony Hopkins' memorable performance in the 1985 production of "Pravda," written by David Hare and Howard Brenton, and then performs two scenes from the play with other members of the company. Hall reflects on the construction of the new building, at which he eventually directed over thirty plays, and Judi Dench and Rory Kinnear perform a scene from "Antony and Cleopatra." Eyre discusses "Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes" by Tony Kushner, which premiered in London in 1991 before opening on Broadway in America in 1993, and Dominic Cooper and Andrew Scott perform a scene from the first part, "Millennium Approaches."
A clip is shown from the 1990 production of "Richard III," starring Ian McKellen, and Christopher Eccleston comments on Hare's trilogy of politically-themed plays and performs a scene from "The Absence of War" alongside Nick Sampson and other members of the company. A clip is shown from the 1991 production of "The Madness of George III," written by Alan Bennett and starring Selina Cadell and Nigel Hawthorne. Rory Kinnear discusses Stoppard's "Arcadia" and performs a scene with Martin, Olivia Vinall and Jonathan Bailey. Clips are shown from the 1995 "Richard II" starring Fiona Shaw and the 1997 "King Lear" starring Ian Holm and Michael Bryant, and Judi Dench and Oliver Cotton take the stage to perform the "Send in the Clowns" scene from "A Little Night Music" by Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler. Lyndsey Marshall comments on "The Mysteries," a version of a series of English medieval plays, and performs a scene from "The Nativity" as adapted by Tony Harrison alongside the rest of the company. Simon Russell Beale performs a monologue from "Hamlet," and Roger Allam does a scene from "Copenhagen" by Michael Frayn. Nunn talks about the various musicals staged at the National Theatre, and Alex Jennings, Rosalie Craig and Malcolm Sinclair perform "The Rain in Spain" from "My Fair Lady," written by Frederick Lowe and Alan Jay Lerner.
A clip is shown from the 1988 production of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," written by Tennessee Williams and starring Lindsay Duncan and Ian Charleson, and Helen Mirren and Tim Pigott-Smith take the stage to perform a scene from "Mourning Becomes Electra" by Eugene O'Neill. Next, a clip is shown from the 2005 filmed version of Kwame Kwei-Armah's 2003 play "Elmina's Kitchen," starring Paterson Joseph and Emmanuel Idowu. Michael Brandon, Alison Jiear and other company members perform a medley of songs from "Jerry Springer: The Opera" by Richard Thomas and Stewart Lee, including "This is My Jerry Springer Moment," "I've Been Seeing Someone Else" and "I Just Wanna Dance." Hytner comments on Hare's political piece "Stuff Happens," based on events and quotes following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and Jennings and Lloyd Owen perform a scene from the play. Next is a scene from "The History Boys," performed by author Bennett, Cooper, Philip Correia, Jamie Parker, Sacha Dhawan, Marc Elliott, Samuel Anderson, James Corden, Andrew Knott, Clive Merrison and Stephen Campbell Moore. Following this is a scene from "War Horse," based on the book by Michael Morpurgo, adapted by Nick Stafford and starring Jack Holden, Tim van Eyken, Laura Cubitt, Kate Colebrook, Louise Kempton, Toby Olie, Thomas Wilton and Michael Brett.
"National Theatre Live" premiered in 2009, broadcasting various stage productions to theatres around the world, and clips are shown of 2012's "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time," based on the book by Mark Haddon, adapted by Simon Stephens and starring Luke Treadaway, 2011's "Frankenstein," based on the book by Mary Shelley, adapted by Nick Dear and starring Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller, and 2011's "The Cherry Orchard," written by Chekhov, adapted by Andrew Upton and starring Zoe Wanamaker and Mark Bonnar. Corden performs a scene from "One Man, Two Guvnors" by Richard Bean, and writer Alecky Blythe talks about her musical "London Road," written with Adam Cork, based on a series of interviews with Ipswich townsfolk about the serial murders of five local women. Kate Fleetwood, James Doherty, Paul Thornley, Linzi Hateley, Howard Ward, Duncan Wisbey, Nicola Sloane, Claire Moore, Nick Holder, Hal Fowler and Craig perform "London Road in Bloom" from the show. Kinnear and Lester perform a scene from "Othello," intercut with audio clips of the 1965 version starring Olivier and Frank Finlay, and Anderson and Frances de la Tour perform a scene from "The Habit of Art" by Bennett, which refers directly to the National Theatre and its people. Further audio clips from the most famous plays mounted at the theatre are heard, and all of the actors retake the stage to take their bows, grouped by decade, followed by the crew members. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: BBC 2 (United Kingdom)
- DATE: November 2, 2013 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 2:42:14
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 113533
- GENRE: Documentary
- SUBJECT HEADING: Documentary; Theatre; Britain
- SERIES RUN: BBC 2 - TV, 2013
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- David Sabel … Executive Producer
- Emma Keith … Producer
- Robin Hawkes … Producer
- Sophie Farrah … Associate Producer
- Martin Rosenbaum … Short Films Producer
- James Norton … Short Films Associate Producer
- Christopher C. Bretnall … Technical Producer
- Nicholas Hytner … Director
- Tim Van Someren … Director
- Howard Davies … Director, "Mourning Becomes Electra"
- Rufus Norris … Director, "London Road"
- Melanie Marshall … Singer
- Stuart Matthew Price … Singer
- Verity Quade … Singer
- Ross Sharkey … Singer
- Caroline Sheen … Singer
- Michael Xavier … Singer
- Andrew Vinter … Instrumentalist, Keyboards
- Peter McCarthy … Instrumentalist, Keyboards
- Steve Smith … Instrumentalist, Guitar
- Don Richardson … Instrumentalist, Double Bass/Bass Guitar
- Allan Cox … Instrumentalist, Drums
- Martin Briggs … Instrumentalist, Percussion
- Andy Findon … Instrumentalist, Woodwind
- Nick Moss … Instrumentalist, Woodwind
- Howard McGill … Instrumentalist, Woodwind
- Jay Craig … Instrumentalist, Woodwind
- John Barclay … Instrumentalist, Trumpet/Flugelhorn
- Andy Crowley … Instrumentalist, Trumpet/Flugelhorn
- Toby Coles … Instrumentalist, Trumpet/Flugelhorn
- Gordon Campbell … Instrumentalist, Trombone
- Matt Gunner … Instrumentalist, Horn
- Helen Tunstall … Instrumentalist, Harp
- Tom Hiddleston … Interviewee
- Tom Stoppard … Interviewee
- Nicholas Hytner … Interviewee
- Stephen Sondheim … Interviewee
- Peter Hall … Interviewee
- Richard Eyre … Interviewee
- Trevor Nunn … Interviewee
- Alan Ayckbourn … Interviewee
- Kwame Kwei-Armah … Interviewee
- Adrian Lester … Interviewee, Performer
- Benedict Cumberbatch … Interviewee, Performer
- Maggie Smith … Interviewee, Performer
- Joan Plowright … Interviewee, Performer
- Derek Jacobi … Interviewee, Performer
- Michael Gambon … Interviewee, Performer
- Penelope Wilton … Interviewee, Performer
- Ralph Fiennes … Interviewee, Performer
- Christopher Eccleston … Interviewee, Performer
- Judi Dench … Interviewee, Performer
- Lyndsey Marshal … Interviewee, Performer
- Matthew Barker … Performer
- Stanley Townsend … Performer
- Anna Maxwell Martin … Performer
- Kobna Holdbrook-Smith … Performer
- Deborah Findlay … Performer
- Nicholas le Provost … Performer
- Clive Rowe … Performer
- Rory Kinnear … Performer
- Dominic Cooper … Performer
- Andrew Scott … Performer
- Nick Sampson … Performer
- Olivia Vinall … Performer
- Jonathan Bailey … Performer
- Oliver Cotton … Performer
- Simon Russell Beale … Performer
- Roger Allam … Performer
- Alex Jennings … Performer
- Rosalie Craig … Performer
- Malcolm Sinclair … Performer
- Ian Charleson … Performer
- Lindsay Duncan … Performer
- Helen Mirren … Performer
- Tim Pigott-Smith … Performer
- Paterson Joseph … Performer
- Emmanuel Idowu … Performer
- Michael Brandon … Performer
- Alison Jiear … Performer
- Lloyd Owen … Performer
- Alan Bennett … Performer
- Philip Correia … Performer
- Jamie Parker … Performer
- Sacha Dhawan … Performer
- Marc Elliott … Performer
- Samuel Anderson … Performer
- James Corden … Performer
- Andrew Knott … Performer
- Clive Merrison … Performer
- Stephen Campbell Moore … Performer
- Jack Holden … Performer
- Tim van Eyken … Performer
- Laura Cubitt … Performer
- Kate Colebrook … Performer
- Louise Kempton … Performer
- Toby Olie … Performer
- Thomas Wilton … Performer
- Michael Brett … Performer
- Luke Treadaway … Performer
- Jonny Lee Miller … Performer
- Zoe Wanamaker … Performer
- Mark Bonnar … Performer
- Kate Fleetwood … Performer
- James Doherty … Performer
- Paul Thornley … Performer
- Linzi Hateley … Performer
- Howard Ward … Performer
- Duncan Wisbey … Performer
- Nicola Sloane … Performer
- Claire Moore … Performer
- Nick Holder … Performer
- Hal Fowler … Performer
- Frances de la Tour … Performer
- Richard Bean
- Alecky Blythe
- Howard Brenton
- Michael Bryant
- Abe Burrows
- Selina Cadell
- Anton Chekhov
- Adam Cork
- Noel Coward
- Nick Dear
- George Farquhar
- Frank Finlay
- Michael Frayn
- Richard Hampton
- David Hare
- Tony Harrison
- Mark Haddon
- Nigel Hawthorne
- Ian Holm
- Anthony Hopkins
- Tony Kushner
- Stewart Lee
- Alan Jay Lerner
- Frank Loesser
- Frederick Lowe
- Ian McKellen
- Michael Morpurgo
- Peter Nichols
- Anthony Nicholls
- Peter O'Toole
- Eugene O'Neill
- Laurence Olivier
- Harold Pinter
- Paul Scofield
- Peter Shaffer
- William Shakespeare
- George Bernard Shaw
- Fiona Shaw
- Mary Shelley
- Nick Stafford
- Robert Stephens
- Simon Stephens
- Jo Swerling
- Richard Thomas
- Andrew Upton
- Hugh Wheeler
- Tennessee Williams