Posts tagged as:

National Theatre

101 post(s)

Ben Power: going behind the scenes at the National’s Shed

21 April 2013

in New Writing, Producers, Theatre buildings, Theatre People

INTERVIEW: BEN POWER The National Theatre Associate Director tells Matt Trueman how the Shed – the NT’s temporary studio theatre filling in for the Cottesloe, which is being refurbished – came into being, what lies behind his programming and muses on what its lasting effects might be. In a theatre landscape undergoing a lot of rapid change, does the Shed serve as an unmissable icon anticipating the theatre of tomorrow?

Playwright Simon Stephens on The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

19 March 2013

in Disability Arts, New Writing, Playwrights, Theatre buildings

1 Comment

INTERVIEW: SIMON STEPHENS The award-winning playwright chats to Aleks Sierz about his superb adaptation of Mark Haddon’s novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Apollo Theatre), which has just transferred to the West End after opening at the National Theatre to enthusiastic reviews last year.

Designer Lizzie Clachan uncorks the National Theatre’s Port

29 January 2013

in Design, Site Specific, Theatre buildings

1 Comment

INTERVIEW: LIZZIE CLACHAN The designer and co-founder of Shunt talks to Matt Trueman about the National’s revival of Port (2002) by Simon Stephens and her journey from experimental, off-site work into more conventional theatre as the boundaries between different forms have dissolved.

Theatrical review of 2012: the hits, the stinkers, the verdict

18 January 2013

in Criticism, Review of the Year, Reviews and Roundtables

REVIEW OF 2012 Mark Shenton (Sunday Express) and guests Kate Bassett (Independent on Sunday), David Benedict (Variety) and Matt Wolf (International Herald Tribune) assess the highs and lows of the reviewing year in a brilliantly informed and entertaining session.

Sebastian Born, Associate Director (Literary) at the National Theatre

17 January 2013

in New Writing, Playwrights, Theatre People

INTERVIEW: SEBASTIAN BORN The Associate Director (Literary) at the National Theatre tells Sophie Reynolds about the work of a literary department, from how plays are programmed and developed to the relationship a writer may have with a theatre; with reference to playwrights such as Alan Bennett, Lucy Prebble and Alecky Blythe.

Playwright James Graham talks about his hit, This House

13 December 2012

in New Writing, Playwrights, Political theatre

INTERVIEW: JAMES GRAHAM The prolific young playwright talks to Dominic Cavendish about his politically minded career to-date and This House, his backstage House of Commons drama and look back in detail at the 1974-1979 years of British parliamentary life, a hit at the National Theatre’s Cottesloe stage and which transfers to the Olivier in the New Year.

Jonathan Croall explores the wonderful world of John Gielgud (1/2)

19 October 2012

in Actors and Performers, Books, Theatre People

INTERVIEW: JONATHAN CROALL (1/2) The theatre historian and author talks to Heather Neill about his two recently published books, John Gielgud: Matinee Idol to Movie Star (Methuen) and Gielgoodies! The Wit, Wisdom and Gaffes of John Gielgud (Oberon Books), which together give a fully rounded account of one of the most important men of the theatre in the 20th century.

Jonathan Croall explores the wonderful world of John Gielgud (2/2)

19 October 2012

in Actors and Performers, Books, Theatre People

INTERVIEW: JONATHAN CROALL (2/2) The theatre historian and author talks to Heather Neill about his two recently published books, John Gielgud: Matinee Idol to Movie Star (Methuen) and Gielgoodies! The Wit, Wisdom and Gaffes of John Gielgud (Oberon Books), which together give a fully rounded account of one of the most important men of the theatre in the 20th century.

Simon Russell Beale talks about his star performance as Timon

31 August 2012

in Actors and Performers, Shakespeare and Renaissance Drama, Theatre People

1 Comment

SHAKESPEARE: TIMON OF ATHENS Simon Russell Beale, who plays the lead role in Nicholas Hytner’s current production at the National Theatre, part of the World Shakespeare Festival, talks to Heather Neill about the play and the production.

Shakespeare’s First Acts: Timon of Athens

31 August 2012

in Actors and Performers, Shakespeare and Renaissance Drama

SHAKESPEARE’S FIRST ACTS: TIMON OF ATHENS Simon Russell Beale, currently playing the lead in Nicholas Hytner’s acclaimed modern spin on the play at the National Theatre, discusses the first act with Heather Neill. This interview is part of theatreVOICE’s new series for Olympics year 2012, looking at the beginning of each of Shakespeare’s plays.

Director Polly Findlay explores the tragedy of Antigone

1 June 2012

in Directors, Greek Drama, Political theatre

INTERVIEW: POLLY FINDLAY The director talks to Matt Trueman about her new modern-dress production of Sophocles’s Antigone, which stars Christopher Eccleston and Jodie Whittaker and is currently on at The National Theatre. She also talks about her career and current opportunities for young directors.

Star actor Simon Russell Beale on playing Stalin

5 May 2012

in Actors and Performers, New Writing, Russian Drama, Theatre People

INTERVIEW: SIMON RUSSELL BEALE To mark the transfer to the National’s Olivier Theatre of John Hodge’s Olivier Award-winning play, Collaborators, about Stalin and Bulgakov, we’re sharing this short six-minute extract of actor Simon Russell Beale reflecting on the challenge of playing the dictator.

Non Zero One: farewell to the Bush and plans for the National

22 February 2012

in Site Specific, Theatre buildings

INTERVIEW: NON ZERO ONE Ella Parry-Davies talks to three members of the fast-rising participatory and site-specific company – Alex Turner, Fran Miller and Cat Harrison – about their lauded and awarded farewell piece for the old Bush Theatre (This Is Where We Got To When You Came In) and plans for the National Theatre in 2012, and why they love guiding individuals through their work by means of headphones.

Interview: Edward Bond talks about Saved

22 October 2011

in 1960s Drama, Directors, New Writing, Playwrights

INTERVIEW: EDWARD BOND and SEAN HOLMES The playwright joins the artistic director of the Lyric Hammersmith to discuss the latter’s revival of his landmark 1965 play, Saved, which features the stoning to death of a baby in a pram by a group of London youths. Extracts from a conversation with Dominic Cavendish for a Daily Telegraph article to coincide with this production, the first London showing for the play in 27 years.

Designer Alison Chitty on Motley and Mike Leigh’s Grief (1/2)

18 October 2011

in Design, Directors, Theatre People

INTERVIEW: ALISON CHITTY (1/2) The head of the Motley Theatre Design Course talks to Carole Woddis about her career and her current work on Mike Leigh’s Grief (National Theatre).

Designer Alison Chitty on Motley and Mike Leigh’s Grief (2/2)

18 October 2011

in Design, Directors, Theatre People

INTERVIEW: ALISON CHITTY (2/2) The head of the Motley Theatre Design Course talks to Carole Woddis about her career and her current work on Mike Leigh’s Grief (National Theatre).

West End Review: Mike Leigh’s Grief at the National Theatre

5 October 2011

in Video

2 Comments

Nick Hytner shares a few of his favourite songs (1/2)

6 July 2011

in Directors, Musicals

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE SONGS: NICHOLAS HYTNER (1/2) The artistic director of the National Theatre talks to Mark Shenton about some of the songs that have meant the most to him during his career. Part of a special series at Jermyn Street Theatre, London, in aid of the Theatre Guild, organised and curated by Shenton. The featured singer is West End leading lady Caroline Sheen.

Controversial playwright Richard Bean: full career overview

18 May 2011

in Comedy, New Writing, Playwrights

1 Comment

INTERVIEW: RICHARD BEAN The playwright tells Philip Fisher about his latest, One Man, Two Guvnors (National Theatre), an adaptation of Carlo Goldoni’s The Servant of Two Masters, and then gives an overview of his career, from his Royal Court debut, Toast (1999), to his controversial England People Very Nice (2009), taking in his formative days in the world of stand-up comedy.

Alecky Blythe talks about London Road

14 May 2011

in Musicals, New Writing, Verbatim Drama

INTERVIEW: ALECKY BLYTHE (1/2) The creator (with composer Adam Cork, and director Rufus Norris) of the “documentary musical” London Road, dealing with the lives of those caught up in the notorious Ipswich prostitute murders of 2006, talks to Dominic Cavendish about this hit National Theatre show.

Aleks Sierz discusses his new book: Rewriting the Nation

17 March 2011

in Books, Playwrights, Theatre People

NEW WRITING SPECIAL Philip Fisher talks to critic and theatreVOICE co-editor Aleks Sierz about his new book, Rewriting the Nation: British Theatre Today (Methuen Drama), the legacy of 1990s in-yer-face theatre and the ups and downs of new writing in the UK during the past decade.

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