National Theatre Live at DLWP

When the National Theatre production  of She Stoops to Conquer  came to the  Pavilion in 2003 there was a Q & A session after  one of the performances where someone asked “  When will the National Theatre be coming back to Bexhill? “ I’m happy to say that this January, the National Theatre will return – broadcast  live  on to the big screen in  the Pavilion’s auditorium with its production of The Magistrate by Arthur Wing Pinero starring John Lithgow.

If you have not seen an NTLive production, you are in for a real treat. I’ve seen Frankenstein, Fela! and King Lear all broadcast live on screen . With Frankenstein, we actually travelled up to London to see it at a cinema on Shaftesbury Avenue  – only across the river from where the performance was simultaneously taking place.  Initially I was a bit snobby about the concept and thought that it would be a lesser  experience than watching it on stage. But  strangely I  found it that not to be so.  Being able to view the play from all different angles, including close-ups and in extraordinary high definition, was a different, if not better, way to see the play.  And it is performed live, so you don’t miss out on all the excitement, tension and impact that a live performance has.  You also feel very much part of the theatre audience, who you can see and hear before the curtain goes up.  The sound is so good that you actually feel as though you are sitting in the theatre with them.  In fact, you are part of a worldwide audience,  as the play is being broadcast simultaneously to theatres and cinemas throughout the world.   In previous NTLive broadcasts that I have seen, they have also interviewed the director before the show , which is a real bonus.

The real bonus for me is that it will be broadcast live on my birthday, January 17^th.  I’m really excited that I don’t have to travel anywhere other than my home town to see this play – a real birthday treat for me.

To find out more about NTLive’s broadcast of The Magistrate at DLWP visit NTLive at DLWP.

Sally Ann Lycett, Director of External Relations at DLWP