Want to see some fine drama, but can't afford the cost of flying to London? Well, lucky for you, the Royal National Theatre in London has started a new program: NT Live. How it works: they record live performances in HD, then broadcast them via satellite to art house cinemas around the world (UK Venues, International Venues). The first show in the series is Jean Racine's Phedre, starring the great Helen Mirren. [more inside]
posted by Saxon Kane on Jul 20, 2009 - 12 comments

Following the Archbishop of Canterbury's recent description of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy as 'a near-miraculous triumph', it's hardly surprising that a conversation between the two at the National Theatre was more of a love-in rather than a debate. The transcript is still a great read though, and contains gems like:

PP: Which leads us to Mel Gibson. Have you seen that film?
RW: I haven't seen it.
PP: Nor have I, so we can talk about it! That's all right.
RW: We're allowed opinions without the constraints of reality!
posted by adrianhon on Mar 20, 2004 - 26 comments