In a bleak, post-apocalyptic landscape, the king's militia brutally decapitate an enemy fighter, hanging his head in a plastic bag upon a pylon...
As with the RSC's recent production of Macbeth, the reviews for the National Theatre's rendition of the Scottish Play were less than praising. Criticised for misjudging the play's themes and glorifying its violence in a 'Mad Max'-style setting, the production has been cited as one in a long line of flops from the National Theatre under artistic director Rufus Norris. Yet, as with the RSC production, I sat down for the live screening with an open mind - and was pleasantly surprised. Here's my thoughts.
The year is 1850, and amongst the ramshackle streets of Soho, a desperate man heads to the pawnbrokers with his wife's family silver tucked under his arm...
So begins Young Marx
, the debut production at the new Bridge Theatre on London's South Bank. For me, the play was an unexpected delight - not the dry, inaccessible political lecture I feared it might be, but a playful, upbeat comedy highlighting the all-too-human flaws and failings of one man, now known as the greatest intellectual revolutionary of his age. Here's my thoughts.
