This week is the third installment of broadcasts from "NT Live", the new and groundbreaking series of plays that are simulcast live from the National Theatre in London.
I am quite pleased by the emergence of this idea, as nights spent at the NT were often some of the most memorable of my adventures in London theatre audiences. Some experiences there included seeing one of the first performances of David Hare's Stuff Happens, snagging a first row seat to see Fiona Shaw perform Happy Days, catching the original cast of The History Boys, an experimental play derived from Virginia Woolf called Waves, and numerous other memorable productions. I caught the first play in NT Live (Phedre with Helen Mirren) last June, and the feeling of immediate vibrancy that I so loved live in London came right back to me.
I'm curious what the larger theatre community (or at the very least, readers of this blog) may think of this concept. Is it good to be bringing theatre to a larger audience, especially if it's a far distance, such as London to California? Is immediacy lost in translation? Is it a disservice to have a theatrical text on the big screen? Too cinematic? Or just the right choice?
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