National Theatre

Cooking Up a Comedy

England's National Theatre in London will be opening a production of Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors at its Olivier Theatre in November, and then opening it to the entire world on March 1 through its National Theatre Live broadcast to cinemas.

Cast as Antipholus of Syracuse in the Dominic Cooke–directed play is Lenny Henry, the British comedian who co-wrote and starred as the titular character in the hit BBC series Chef! (he also played the shrunken head on the Knight Bus in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban). Other cast members include Claudie Blakley, Chris Jarman, Lucian Msamati, Joseph Mydell, Pamela Nomvete, Daniel Poyser, Amit Shah, and Michelle Terry.

After the Metropolitan Opera's success with broadcasting some of its Saturday matinee operas to movie theaters, the National Theater set up its own such service with National Theatre Live. Showing in cinemas and theaters around the world, the broadcasts allow people to see some of the NT's great performances, Shakespearean and otherwise.

For information on upcoming NT Live showings and venues near you, go to http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/ntlive.

October 3, 2011

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