Judi Dench as Paulina in "The Winter's Tale"
Monday, September 14, 2015 at 9:00AM Manuel here to talk theater. Well, theater that will be soon coming to a screen near you at least. Did you know Judi Dench, who has been a staple of the London stage for over 50 years (oh to have been in the audience for her Sally Bowles in 1968!) is starring in Kenneth Branagh's mounting of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale this fall?
Now you do! And now we also have the first look at Dench as Paulina.
I may have to seek this out when it will be broadcast live from London's Garrick theatre on November 25. And that's not just because this Shakespearean romance has been in mind ever since I caught Brian Selznick's latest book The Marvels, where there Hugo author turns his attention away from cinema and onto the theater in general and this particular Bard piece in particular.
Oh, and if you want to see what else Brannagh has in store during his tenure at the Garrick, here is a teaser for all of three his upcoming shows: Romeo & Juliet (with Derek Jacobi, Richard Madden and Lily James) and The Entertainer (starring himself!). Now we just have to hope this will get him excited to bring another film out into the world that's not tied to a franchise!
I had the pleasure of catching Danny Boyle's Frankenstein with both Sherlocks (Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller) a few years back and while there's clearly no substitution for catching live theater, I do enjoy getting the chance to catch productions that would otherwise elude me.
Have you caught any of these live broadcasts before? Or will you fly to London to see the Dench & Brannagh production live on stage?
Reader Comments (4)
I have tickets for the stage production and am seeing it in January. I can't wait! Judi Dench is always great, and I've become more and more fond of Kenneth Branagh as I've got older.
@Edward L. - I envy you. Judi Dench is always a treat to watch in anything.
Kenneth Branagh has matured into his talent, creating works on stage and in film that are always interesting. He is Under-appreciated (in terms of awards).
Interestingly, here in Puerto Rico the biggest chain of movie theaters is also broadcasting live plays from London. This Sunday at noon they are showing A View From the Bridge from Arthur Miller, with Mark Strong. I hope they continue to do so.
Seeing these productions on a cinema screen, while no substitute to being at the performance in person, still felt a real treat, and a privilege to watch such fantastic productions.
I live in Singapore, and there's no easy way to get myself to see all these in person. And seeing the recorded broadcasts is not that accessible either! But fortunately, the British Council brought a few titles in!
I saw Frankenstein too (twice, to see Cumberbatch and Miller swap roles — Miller was the better Creature, Cumberbatch the better Doctor), Coriolanus with Tom Hiddleston (brilliant!) and Helen Mirren in The Audience (I cried!).
As a direct comparison, I got to see Macbeth with Kenneth Branagh at the Park Avenue Armory, as well as the NTLive broadcast of the same production. It was much better in person for sure, but this may be one of the rare times I can get to make that comparison. So I'll take getting to see these broadcasts whenever possible.