Film News South Africa

NT Live theatre available on the big screen

Theatre lovers are in for a treat Cinema Nouveau's next two broadcasts from National Theatre Live, with Terence Rattigan's 'The Deep Blue Sea' screened on Saturday, 15 October for limited screenings, and Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's 'The Threepenny Opera', a landmark of 20th century musical theatre, on the big screen from 29 October.

Launched in 2009, National Theatre Live (NT Live) enables audiences to experience the best of British theatre throughout the year, as the National brings cameras into the auditorium to record and broadcast performances from stage to screen. NT Live broadcasts have been seen by an audience of more than 5.5 million people at over 2,000 venues in 50 countries.

The acclaimed National Theatre production of ‘The Deep Blue Sea’ was filmed for broadcast to cinemas around the world from the National’s Lyttelton Theatre, directed by Carrie Cracknell, with production design by Tom Scutt, lighting by Guy Hoare, music by Stuart Earl, sound by Peter Rice and movement direction by Polly Bennett.

The Deep Blue Sea

The play takes place in a flat in Ladbroke Grove, West London. 1952. When Hester Collyer (Helen McCrory) is found by her neighbours in the aftermath of a failed suicide attempt, the story of her tempestuous affair with Freddie Page (Tom Burke), a former RAF pilot and the breakdown of her marriage to a High Court Judge begins to emerge. With it comes a portrait of need, loneliness and long-repressed passion. Behind the fragile veneer of post-war civility burns a brutal sense of loss and longing.

NT Live theatre available on the big screen

The cast

The full cast is Helen McCrory as Hester Collyer, James Alper, Marion Bailey, Katy Brittain, Tom Burke (Freddie Page), Hubert Burton, Adetomiwa Edun, Elsie Fallon, Nick Figgis, Nick Fletcher, Yolanda Kettle, Andrew Lewis and Peter Sullivan.

Helen McCrory and Carrie Cracknell reunite following the acclaimed Medea in 2014. Helen McCrory’s other theatre work includes: ‘The Last of the Haussmans’, ‘Blood Wedding’ and ‘The Seagull for the NT’; ‘The Late Middle Classes’, ‘Old Times’, ‘Twelfth Night’ and ‘Uncle Vanya’ (Donmar Warehouse) and ‘As You Like It’ (West End). Her extensive film and television work includes ‘Skyfall’, ‘Hugo’, ‘Leaving’, ‘A Little Chaos’, ‘Peaky Blinders’, ‘Penny Dreadful’, ‘The Queen’, ‘Harry Potter’, ‘Street Life’ (RTS and Monte Carlo Best Actress Awards), ‘Anna Karenina’, ‘The Jury’ and ‘North Square’ (Critics’ Circle Award).

Terence Rattigan was one of the most influential playwrights of the mid-20th century. His plays included ‘The Winslow Boy’, ‘The Browning Version’, ‘Separate Tables’, ‘Flare Path’ and ‘After the Dance’, which was produced at the NT in 2011 (Olivier award for best revival). He is still the only playwright who has had two straight plays run for over a thousand performances in London’s West End simultaneously.

Carrie Cracknell’s recent work includes ‘Medea and Blurred Lines’, ‘Macbeth and A Doll’s House’ and ‘Wozzeck’. She is associate director at the Royal Court Theatre and an associate artist at the Young Vic.

‘The Deep Blue Sea’ releases on South African screens on Saturday, 15 October 2016, for four screenings only: on 15, 19 and 20 October at 19.30 and on 16 October at 14.30 at Cinema Nouveau theatres in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town. The running time of this production is two hours 30 minutes, including a 20 minute interval.

NT Live theatre available on the big screen

Threepenny Opera

The classic musical theatre piece, ‘The Threepenny Opera’ by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, in collaboration with Elisabeth Hauptmann is a new adaptation by Simon Stephens and directed by Rufus Norris. Broadcast live from the stage of the National Theatre, with Olivier Award-winner Rory Kinnear as Macheath, alongside Rosalie Craig as Polly Peachum and Haydn Gwynne as Mrs Peachum.

As London’s East End scrubs up for the coronation, Mr and Mrs Peachum gear up for a bumper day in the beggary business. Keeping tight control of the city’s underground – and their daughter’s whereabouts.

‘Threepenny Opera’ will be screened from October 29.

For booking download the Ster-Kinekor App on any smart phone for updates, news and to make a booking. Visit www.cinemanouveau.co.za or sterkinekor.mobi. For queries, contact Nouveau Ticketline on 0861 Movies (668 437).

About Daniel Dercksen

Daniel Dercksen has been a contributor for Lifestyle since 2012. As the driving force behind the successful independent training initiative The Writing Studio and a published film and theatre journalist of 40 years, teaching workshops in creative writing, playwriting and screenwriting throughout South Africa and internationally the past 22 years. Visit www.writingstudio.co.za
Let's do Biz