Category: Theatre

We heard really great things about last year’s production of The Father and the Assassin at the National Theatre, but unfortunately weren’t able to cover it when it played previously – so we were excited to see that it was returning to its former home. This production reunites Indian playwright Anupama Chandrasekhar with director Indhu Rubasingham, and stars Olivier-winner Hiran Abeysekera (Life of Pi) as the assassin Nathuram Godse. The story of Mahatma Gandhi (played in this show by Paul Bazely), the civil rights activist and leader of the successful…

We had high hopes for The Effect, and thankfully this show more than lived up to expectations. Written by Lucy Prebble, one of the writers of hit TV series Succession, and directed by Olivier-winner Jamie Lloyd, it’s a brilliant, captivating observation of the world we inhabit, full of moral dilemmas. At its centre is the story of two young people, Tristan (Paapa Essiedu) and Connie (Taylor Russell), who have volunteered to take part in a new drugs trial. They live in a world which has woken up to the importance…

Before the show begins we’re aware that this is likely to be an extremely affecting piece of theatre – there are signs around the bar area of the Dorfman Theatre (the smallest of the three spaces in the National Theatre) advising audience members that there are safe spaces available upstairs in the theatre if they’re required during the evening. Before act one begins, the actors introduce themselves – out of character – to give us some context about the play, to reassure the audience that no fire will be shown…