No trip to London is complete without a visit to its famous West End, where you can catch legendary plays and musicals like Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, and Mamma Mia!. But if a long-haul flight there is currently out of the question for you, then you’ll be glad to know that you can catch the best of London Theatre screened right here in Singapore.
This December, National Theatre Live is screening two of Britain’s most exciting plays at Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. If you’re not acquainted, this is an initiative by National Theatre that shows live filmings of plays from the National Theatre, Barbican and the West End at over 2000 cinemas and screens in more than 40 countries.
On December 9 at the Esplanade Theatre, catch Best of Enemies, a multiple award-winning drama starring David Harewood (Homeland) and Zachary Quinto (Star Trek). They play William F. Buckley Jr. and Gore Vidal, two intellectual rivals who took part in a series of heated televised debates during the 1968 United States presidential election. Watch the political sparks fly in this sharp and witty recounting of a famous feud at a critical time in American politics.
For those who love Shakespeare, don’t miss Academy Award nominee Benedict Cumberbatch’s stellar turn as the melancholic Hamlet. Filmed live at London’s Barbican Theatre, this Hamlet production has garnered praise for Cumberbatch’s emotionally hefty performance and its sumptuous staging and costumes. Catch the screening at the Esplanade Theatre on December 10.
There will only be one screening of each play at Esplanade, so don’t dally and book your tickets to National Theatre Live here.