Ster-Kinekor Cinema Nouveau Theatres has announced a new addition to the National Theatre Live season, She Stoops to Conquer. The title will be screened on 26, 27, 30 and 31 May 2012.
She Stoops to Conquer is the latest period comedy straight out of London. Written by Oliver Goldsmith and directed by Jamie Lloyd, this play was first staged in 1773 – 240 years later it still manages to create a stir amongst audiences.
The scene is set in the country house of the Hardcastle family. Mr Hardcastle (Steve Pemberton from the award-winning The League of Gentlemen), envisions his daughter and his best friend’s son getting married. However, his plans are thwarted when Tony Lumpkin (David Fynn) plays a prank on Marlow (John Hefferman), the prospective son-in-law. This causes Marlow to enter the Hardcastle house, mistaking it for a country inn. Mr Hardcastle is mistaken for the innkeeper, and his daughter Kate (Katherine Kelly from Coronation Street) for the barmaid.
She Stoops to Conquer unfolds as two gentlemen are tricked into mistaking a country house for an inn, where outrageous misunderstandings arise, transgressions multiply and love blossoms.
The truth is that Marlow can barely speak to women, and is a tongue tied wreck when it comes to women of his own class. However, he is a complete lecher when communicating to his social inferiors. Kate Hardcastle decides that in order to win over Marlow, she must play her part as the barmaid. Mrs Hardcastle (Sophie Thompson of Eat Pray Love), gives audiences an absurdly over the top performance as she engages the prospective son-in-law and his foppish friend in the latest ensemble from National Theatre Live.
The running time of She Stoops to Conquer is three hours (estimate), including host introduction and one 20 minute intermission (10 minutes of programming; 10 minutes of countdown clock).
It will screen at the following venues:
Johannesburg: Cinema Nouveau Rosebank Mall
Pretoria: Cinema Nouveau Brooklyn
Durban: Cinema Nouveau Gateway
Cape Town: Cinema Nouveau Cavendish and cinema Nouveau V&A Art
Bookings are now open at sterkinekor.com, or SterKinekor.mobi.
