Travelling Light
a new play by Nicholas Wright
4 STARS ‘Enchanting. A golden-hearted tragicomic fable.’ The Times
4 STARS ‘A love letter to the movies.’ Guardian
‘Antony Sher is explosively energetic.' Evening Standard
In a remote village in Eastern Europe, around 1900, the young Motl Mendl is entranced by the flickering silent images on his father’s cinematograph. Bankrolled by Jacob, the ebullient local timber merchant, and inspired by Anna, the girl sent to help him make moving pictures of their village, he stumbles on a revolutionary way of story-telling. Forty years on, Motl – now a famed American film director – looks back on his early life and confronts the cost of fulfilling his dreams.
How had a twenty-two-year–old pretentious layabout made a discovery that would elude every other cinematic pioneer for years to come?
Following Vincent in Brixton and The Reporter, Nicholas Wright’s new play is a funny and fascinating tribute to the Eastern European immigrants who became major players in Hollywood’s golden age. The award-winning Antony Sher – whose previous work with the National Theatre includes Primo and Stanley – returns to play Jacob.
I know it was in the picture. I made the picture and now the cow’s getting paid and I’m not!
National Theatre Live
Travelling Light will be broadcast to cinemas across the UK and around the world on 9 February 2012 as part of National Theatre Live. Find your nearest cinema and book.
Tickets for the filmed performance of Travelling Light are on sale now.
Assisted performances
Audio-Described performances Fri 2 Mar at 7.30pm, Sat 3 Mar at 2.15pm (Touch Tour at 12.45pm)
Captioned performance Wed 29 Feb at 7.30pm
On Tour
The Lowry, Salford (13 – 17 March)
Grand Theatre, Leeds (20 – 24 March)
Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury (27 – 31 March)
Theatre Royal, Newcastle (3 – 7 April)
Travelling Light Learning Programme
Open rehearsal at Grand Theatre, Leeds - Sat 24 March, 10.30am - 12pm
Page to Stage at Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury - Thurs 29 March, 11am - 12.30pm
Open rehearsal at Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury - Sat 31 March, 11am - 12.30pm
Open rehearsal at Theatre Royal, Newcastle - Thurs 5 April, 10.30am - 12pm
All events bookable through the individual venues.
Top price (including Senior Citizen and Adult Group discounts) and U18s prices apply to performances from 24 April. Prices vary for performances before this date - please see individual performances for seating price information.
original photos © Corbis
