CCP National Theatre Live debuts plays of Benedict Cumberbatch, Emilia Clarke, Ian McKellen, Phoebe Waller-Bridge
MANILA, Philippines — The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) is partnering with National Theatre Live (NTL) to screen some of the best of British theater in the Philippines.
NTL has been broadcasting stage performances in London since June 2009 in order to be viewed in cinemas all over the world; this partnership with CCP signals the initiative's debut in the country.
The first season of CCP National Theatre Live includes nine different plays from the initiative's archive — four from the most recent 13th season — to be played exclusively at Greenbelt cinemas from September 26 to May 28 next year.
Kicking off the season on September 26 is Lolita Chakrabarti's stage adaptation of Yann Martel’s best-selling novel "Life of Pi" about a teenage boy stranded on a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean with a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan and a Royal Bengal tiger.
"Life of Pi" won five Laurence Olivier Awards in 2022 including Best New Play and Best Actor for Hiran Abeysekera, and has been praised for it puppetry, storytelling, and state-of-the-art visuals.
The Halloween offering on October 31 is Danny Boyle and Nick Dear's adaptation of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein," the scientist who brings a creature to life only to cast him out to a hostile world that only finds him hideous and dangerous.
NTL captured the sold-out show in 2011, with Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller — both known for their portrayals of Sherlock Holmes — alternating as the titular character and his monster; both actors shared the 2012 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor.
On November 28 is Anya Reiss' 21st century retelling of Anton Chekhov's classic play "The Seagull" starring "Game of Thrones" star Emilia Clarke in her West End debut.
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In "The Seagull," four individuals with dreams of their own turn on each other when there is nowhere left to turn in their isolation.
The Christmas offering on December 19 is Simon Godwin's direction of William Shakespeare's comedy "Much Ado About Nothing" with Katherine Parkinson and John Heffernan leading the cast.
This Shakespearean classic follows the legendary family-run Hotel Messina on the Italian Riviera where the owner’s daughter weds a dashing young soldier, much to the disagreement of guests, leading to a string of scandalous deceptions.
Heading into the new year is Arthur Miller’s "The Crucible" directed by Lyndsey Turner on January 24, this recording starring Brendan Cowell and "The Crown" star Erin Doherty (who alternated with "House of the Dragon" star Milly Alcock).
"The Crucible" follows a group of young women in Salem who suddenly find their words have some power, and fear spreads throughout their community.
CCP National Theatre Live has fortunately included Phoebe Waller-Bridge's "Fleabag" to screen on February 27, the play inspiring the hit BBC series of the same name also with Waller-Bridge.
For her role and development of the play, Waller-Bridge was nominated in 2014 for the Outstanding Achievement in Afilliate Theatre and in 2020 for Best New Comedy and Best Lead Actress - Comedy.
The second Shakespearean play in the season is the new production of the tragedy "Othello" on March 26 featuring Giles Terera, Rosy McEwean, and Paul Hilton and direction by Clint Dyer.
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The titular character, a refugee of slavery who has risen the social ranks, and a senator's daughter Desdemona are wed in secret and crave a new life, but that is not for them to decide as unseen forces conspire against them.
Another Shakespearean tragedy in the season is the contemporary retelling of "King Lear" on April 30 with legendary actor Sir Ian McKellen in the titular role, for which he was nominated twice for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor, under the direction of Jonathan Munby.
The titular king sees two old fathers — a King and a courtier — reject the children who truly love them, and their blindness unleashes a tornado of pitiless ambition and treachery, as family and state are plunged into a violent power struggle with bitter ends.
Wrapping the season is Cumberbatch in yet another classic Shakespearean tragedy "Hamlet," directed by the previously mentioned Turner, on May 28.
The titular character is forced to avenge the death of his father and rages against the impossibility of his situation, threatening both his sanity and the security of the nation.
That version of "Hamlet" received four Laurence Olivier Award nominations in 2016 including Best Revival and Best Actor for Cumberbatch.
All the screenings will be at 5:30 p.m. Ticket costS P250 each, while student price is at P150.
