I have just got back home from the cinema and I have to tell you all about it!
As you may know, the National Theatre here in the U.K. record certain performances and screen them in cinemas. The performances may be from another theatre company in partnership, but it’s done under the NT banner. The screenings are available in multiple countries; in the U.K. they appear at most cinemas.
So today I went to see something that I had originally considered getting tickets for at the theatre: Coriolanus.
The lead role was performed by Tom Hiddleston, a fantastic actor who is probably most well known as Loki in the Thor/Avengers films but who trained as a stage actor.
I have never read Coriolanus and it’s probably not one of the most commonly studied Shakespearean tales but it was a very powerful play. I held my breath, averted my eyes, cried and gasped at various points in the performance.
It would be impossible for me to get tickets to all the plays I would want to see but this was a fantastic alternative. I think this is a brilliant way to make theatre accessible and to engage people who haven’t seen a play, ballet, opera before. My husband and I are already talking about what we want to see next.
But of course, people need to know these screenings are on if they are going to enjoy them, and that is why I am telling you 🙂
I love seeing different performances and experiencing different stories and if you do too, it’s definitely worth having a look to find out what’s going on near you. It’ll never beat the physicality of a live performance but it beats missing out on theatre altogether!
Happy viewing,
EJ
🙂
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