The Magistrate, the first National Theatre Live of 2013 production, released locally at Cinema Nouveau theatres and Ster-Kinekor Blue Route Mall in Cape Town on Saturday 23 February for four screenings only.
Oscar-nominated actor John Lithgow takes the title role in The Magistrate by Arthur Wing Pinero, a brilliantly plotted farce set in Victorian London and directed by Timothy Sheader.
John Lithgow’s extensive appearances include the films The World According to Garp and Terms of Endearment (for both of which he was Oscar-nominated), Footloose, Shrek and television roles in 3rd Rock from the Sun and Dexter. His many leading roles on Broadway include Sweet Smell of Success, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and The Columnist (all earning Tony nominations), The Front Page and All My Sons as well as the role of Malvolio in Twelfth Night for the RSC. He performed his one-man theatrical memoir Stories by Heart at the National Theatre in 2009.
The Magistrate effectively marks American actor Lithgow’s London stage debut at the age of 67. “It’s very good-hearted, wildly funny and also sweet and sentimental,’ says Lithgow of the play. According to him, Magistrate Posket is “an innocent, virtuous man with an orderly, tidy life and to see him dragged through the mud is hilarious. I love playing that kind of ingenuousness, especially when it involves so much direct address to the audience’.
During its London season, the production was extremely well received by audiences. The play features several original Gilbert and Sullivan-inspired musical numbers, and the highly-stylised Victorian design achieves a fresh, vibrant, modern and colourful look.
National Theatre Live is an initiative by the National Theatre of Great Britain to broadcast live performances to cinema screens around the world. Since its first season, which began in June 2009 with the acclaimed production of Phedre, starring Helen Mirren, more than one million people have experienced the National Theatre’s work on screens worldwide.
“The success of the National Theatre Live concept, and what makes its product so exciting, is that it provides our South African audiences, who may never set foot inside the National Theatre in London, with the opportunity to enjoy world-class stage productions right here, in the comfort of our cinemas,’ says Lola Gallant, brand manager of Cinema Nouveau.
For booking information, visit www.cinemanouveau.co.za or sterkinekor.mobi or call Ticketline on 082 16789.
Visit www.ntlive.com to view The Magistrate trailer.
