National Theatre Live brings you the best of British theatre, broadcast from London to a world-wide audience via satellite. Following Vincent in Brixton and The Reporter, Nicholas Wright’s new play is a funny and fascinating tribute to the Eastern European immigrants who became major players in Hollywood’s golden age.
“A love letter to the movies and an appealingly intelligent evocation of the Jewish folk culture that formed the basis of American cinema.”THE GUARDIAN
In a remote village in Eastern Europe around 1900, the young Motl Mendl is entranced by the flickering silent images on his father’s cinematograph. Bankrolled by Jacob, the ebullient local timber merchant, and inspired by Anna, the girl sent to help him make moving pictures of their village, he stumbles upon a revolutionary way of story-telling. Forty years later, Motl – now a famed American film director – looks back on his early life and confronts the cost of fulfilling his dreams.
The award-winning Antony Sher – whose previous work with the National Theatre includes Primo and Stanley – returns to play Jacob. The broadcast will also include a live post-show Q&A with director Nicholas Hytner and leading figures from the world of film.
*Skirball Center screenings of National Theatre Live events are on a time-delay and may not be screened on the same day or time as the live performance unless otherwise noted.
National Theatre Live events are distributed outside the U.K through New York-based BY Experience, Inc.
