Three massive hit London plays will be screened in cinemas later this year
If the previous sentence means nothing to you, then basically NT Live involves high quality, multi-camera recordings of live theatre performances that are subsequently broadcast into cinemas the world over, often for years to come. Sometimes the first screening will literally be live, more often they will be recorded in front of a live audience but broadcast at a later date. Although most of the filmed shows are staged in the National Theatre, NT Live stretches to a lot of other venues too.
Without further ado then, the new shows being screened are Mrs Warren's Profession, The Fifth Step, and Hamlet.
The legendary Imelda Staunton will make her latest of many NT Live entries with the current West End run of the Bernard Shaw classic Mrs Warren's Profession, which hits cinemas October 23. Dominic Cooke's revival of the decades-ahead-of-its-time morality drama also stars Staunton's actual daughter Bessie Carter, who plays the estranged daughter of Staunton's eponymous brothel madame.
Hitting cinemas on November 27, The Fifth Step is just wrapping up its run at @sohoplace in the West End. Written by endlessly provocative playwright David Ireland, the sell-out hit stars big names Martin Freeman and Jack Lowden as two men who become friends and then bitter enemies via the Alcoholics Anonymous programme.
Finally, Hamlet, a play that needs no introduction, not least to NT Live viewers: the 2015 Barbican production starring Benedict Cumberbatch has been a mainstay of the cinema streaming service for a decade now, and will doubtless continue to be so for years to come. Nonetheless, a single version of Shakespeare's masterpiece doesn't reflect how many major productions it gets – so this will be a welcome chance to get a new one in the system. Starring Olivier-winner Hiran Abeysekera, the production will be the first National Theatre show of new artistic director Indhu Rubasingham's tenure to get the cinema treatment. Hamlet will be in cinemas from January 22, 2026.
Head here for full NT Live listings, with other previously announced shows coming up including a live broadcast on September 4 of the much anticipated, Rosamund Pike-starring Inter Alia.
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BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
'It makes me feel strong': Burlesque is back - but is it empowering or degrading to women?
As burlesque queen Dita Von Teese puts on a new London show, the art form, which blends glamour, striptease and humour, is having a moment again – but the debate around it continues. Grab your nipple pasties and tip your bowler hat: burlesque is back. The art form, which blends vintage glamour, coquettish striptease, and a winking knowingness, is one that seems to blow in-and-out of fashion: it was huge in the 2000s, then faded from view. "When it's needed as a discursive form, it comes up," says Jacki Wilson, associate professor of performance and gender at the University of Leeds. And while in recent years, in the UK at least, drag has replaced burlesque as the trending cabaret act de jour, a couple of big new shows suggest burlesque might just be slinking back into the spotlight. "I think it's having a true renaissance, actually – all over the world," burlesque performer Tosca Rivola tells the BBC. She'd know: her show Diamonds and Dust, a "narrative" burlesque show starring Dita Von Teese, has just opened in London. And while Von Teese may be the enduring queen of the art form, even she benefited from the Taylor Swift effect recently, being introduced to a new audience when she starred as a fairy godmother in the video for the singer's 2022 single Bejeweled. Also about to open in the West End is Burlesque the Musical – a stage version of the Christina Aguilera and Cher-starring 2010 film, while at Edinburgh's globally-renowned Fringe Festival this summer, a new International Burlesque Festival is set to run across five venues for the whole month, in response to a "major increase in burlesque productions staged at the Fringe" last year, according to organisers. And if an ultra-glam version of burlesque has endured more in the US than the UK over the last 15 years, it's also enjoying something of a renaissance there. When a Met Gala after-party centres around a burlesque performance by Teyana Taylor and FKA Twigs, as it did this year, it's clearly more hot ticket than old hat. Or is it? Many of these offerings feel doubly retro: a throwback 20 years to the last mainstream period of an art form that was already harking back to a different era. Is the revival of interest in burlesque actually part of a broader wave of specifically millennial nostalgia? Burlesque the Musical is clearly targeting the same millennial audiences who have flocked to other movie-to-musical adaptations such as Cruel Intentions, Mean Girls, Legally Blonde and Clueless. And the fact that Von Teese is still the big draw for Diamonds and Dust suggests a looking back rather than any great leap forward. Glancing at social media, there is plenty of burlesque on Instagram and TikTok, but not too much evidence of Gen Z rediscovering or reinventing it just yet. A short history of burlesque Before we get lost in such layered timelines, here's a brief history. Burlesque's origins are in Victorian Britain: it grew out of music hall and vaudeville. When Lydia Thompson's troupe The British Blondes visited New York in 1868, their combination of parody, humour, singing, dancing and revealing costumes caused a sensation. "Burlesque is foundationally revolutionary feminist – a reclaiming of female sexuality," Kay Siebler, assistant professor at the University of Nebraska Omaha, tells the BBC. "The root, 'burle', is Italian, and means satire, and burlesque was originally created by women's suffrage performers whose whole objective was taking up public space, and not being confined by patriarchal ideas of what it means to be a woman." But from there, American burlesque developed into its own thing, the emphasis gradually moving towards striptease. There's also, it should be said, a parallel story of the art form's development across Europe, notably in the cabaret clubs of Paris and Berlin, towards the end of the 19th Century. Fast-forward to the 1990s, and neo-burlesque was born in the US. By the mid-2000s, hastened by films such as Moulin Rouge and Chicago, burlesque helped drive a wider trend for vintage glamour, and dominated the stages of cabaret clubs across the globe – as an art form made by women, for women. "Throughout the 90s, I was very much under the hetero male gaze," Dita Von Teese tells the BBC, as she reflects on a career which started in strip clubs. "But I'd say around 2002 my fan base shifted to very female… I think because [burlesque] resonated with people, and they felt like they had some kind of permission to indulge in glamour and embrace their sensuality." As an elder millennial, I remember this era well; long strings of pearls, fishnet stockings, corsets and feathery headbands still shriek mid-2000s as much as they evoke the belle epoque to me. By 2007, burlesque was mainstream enough that one of the first pieces I ever wrote for a newspaper was covering an amateur burlesque night in a small town in Wales that had faintly scandalised the locals. Because the more popular burlesque got, the more it was scrutinised, with increasing debate over whether it was a really an art form or mere titillation. Some argued: weren't women prancing around in corsets, stockings and suspenders just embodying old, patriarchal norms – stripping with pretensions? It's worth restating Von Teese's point that neo-burlesque was created and performed by women, for audiences of women and gay men; it might have been using the language of classic heterosexual desire, but it became a safe space for embodying and playing with that. And a really significant strand of neo-burlesque took that further – or rather, went back to its radical roots. There's always been this more punk version, from the likes of legendary New York performance artist Penny Arcade through to the Australian collective of women of colour Hot Brown Honey – where the work may be subversive, satiric, grotesque, experimental, or deeply political, and the performance of femininity is also a critique of how all femininity is really a performance. Is burlesque becoming more regressive? That version feels much more relevant to 2025 – in step with drag and queer culture, and in line with the broader movement towards diversity and inclusivity that we've seen in the last decade. Yet what's surprising about some of the new burlesque offerings is how old-fashioned they seem. Burlesque the Musical has not yet officially opened, so I can't speak to how writer Steve Antin has updated it. But early reports from a preview run in Manchester suggest it's retained its hetero love story and a pretty uncomplicated attitude towards the joy of shimmying in a bejewelled thong. But I have seen Diamonds and Dust – and found it to be a perplexingly retrograde offering. The dancers may be from different ethnic backgrounds, but otherwise it offers a terribly narrow range of Barbie-doll beauty: slim, leggy, busty, long-hair, lashings of pink and glitter. While they're all undeniably fantastic performers – some of the circus skills made my jaw drop – it also all feels boringly straight and sanitised, about as subversive as a Victoria's Secret show. Which is interesting, because there's certainly a broader revival in what we might term an old-fashioned form of femininity currently, notably in the Trad Wives phenomenon. More like this:• How erotic novel All Fours captured the zeitgeist• The controversial clubs that kept women out• How "dollar princesses" brought flair to the UK Siebler argues that "the original burlesque was a social commentary about what it meant to be a woman, and that is absolutely absent from this very repressive, passive and disempowered version of female sexuality". Such pretty, teasing femininity is, she suggests, "a patriarchal script that women have internalised to say, my power is my sexual power. But are we able to think about how limited this power is?" Wilson has a different perspective: she suggests that, far from just making a comeback now, burlesque has actually continued to bubble away in an underground form – within community spaces, where words like "empowering" do feel more relevant. "Burlesque has opened up now to include queer people, older women, younger men, the transgender community, working-class women," says Wilson. "It's inclusive of different people who want to reflect on what sexiness means, what these tropes and stereotypes mean." This grassroots burlesque, performed by amateurs, is of course a world away from polished, palatable commercial shows – which Wilson sees as distracting from the art form's more radical potential. "I really see the feminist value of burlesque," she says. "It's an incredibly important safe space for women to think about what their bodies mean." -- For more Culture stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Metro
3 days ago
- Metro
Banky's right-hand man reveals moment artist was 'seconds' from being exposed
Banksy's former manager has revealed when the anonymous graffiti artist was inches away from being caught in the act. Steve Lazarides, who was Banksy's manager from 1997 to 2008, told Metro the graffiti legend was 'seconds' away from being arrested and revealing his name. The graffitist's identity has been a well-kept secret since he rose to prominence in the 1990s, leading to wild speculation and rumours as to who the Bristol artist could be. The world almost found out back in 2004, when Banksy was spraying the word 'boring' onto the side of the National Theatre on the South Bank. Lazarides was on the other side of the road during the close shave with officers as he was taking pictures of the artist in action. Banksy's agent told Metro: 'Just as he finishes writing it, the police were about to walk around the corner and see him. 'I was too far away. I saw them coming, but I couldn't shout, the street was too noisy. 'He was just seconds away from being caught.' Lazarides was also bound by his duty as the photographer not to get involved. 'As the documenter, I am not able to help,' he explained. 'My job was to capture what is going on.' Unaware, Banksy made a very lucky escape and avoided the approaching officers. The photographer recalled: 'He rolled off and went to the walkway underneath.' While street artists are far less likely to be arrested nowadays, Lazarides said back in 2004 Banksy would have been apprehended if caught, which is why he kept his identity anonymous. This likely would have meant his secretive cover would have been blown. Asked if his arrest that day would have led to his identity being exposed, Lazarides answered: 'Probably, because he would have given his name to the police.' According to Banksy's former manager, the artist came close to being unmasked 'numerous times', but he was 'remarkably lucky to get away with it' throughout his career. The pair, who are both from Bristol, met when Banksy was doing a feature for the magazine Sleazenation. Photographer Lazarides then took Banksy's portrait and a few weeks later got the call to photograph another piece by the now famous graffitist. The pair then worked together for a decade as Banksy's fame skyrocketed, with Lazarides snapping everything he did. Lazarides spoke to Metro as he unveiled his collection of photographs and artwork, many from their time together, to collectors at an event hosted by the Grove Gallery. Many of these include snaps of Banksy with his back to the camera as he worked. The photographer said he once asked Banksy to give up his anonymity during the early stage of his career, saying his true identity is too unexpected to be believed. Banksy emerged as a street artist in Bristol in the early 1990s. He's thought to have been born in the Gloucestershire town of Yate in the 1970s, starting his artistic journey in the nearby city with a politically engaged music scene. As part of Bristol's DryBreadZ Crew, he was influenced by other figures in the Underground Scene like 3D, also known as Robert Del Naja, a member of Massive Attack. By the 2000s when he appeared to move to London, Banksy had swapped freehand designs for stencilled ones, allowing him to produce pieces more quickly. Already the most famous street artist in the UK, he started turning graffiti into high art favoured by the wealthy, with exhibitions in Britain and abroad. Many of his murals call for peace and poke fun at authority and inequality, featuring characters like rats, police and children. He explained: 'I said to him, 'Why don't you just out yourself?' because then he could breathe and live your life. 'I said to him: 'No one is going to believe you. Everyone has that Robin Hood figure in their head and it is not you.'' More Trending But Lazarides said Banksy 'just wouldn't do it.' Since then, canvases of Banksy's work that used to be sold for just £200 at the beginning of his career, now go for millions. His most recent artwork featured a mural is of a lighthouse shining with the words, 'I want to be what you saw in me' printed on it. London went wild last summer when Banksy unveiled nine animal-inspired works across the capital. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: The ultimate BYOB pottery experience from just £23: 10 unmissable Time Out deals MORE: London's 'grown up' ice cream pairings and 14 more things to try this weekend MORE: Model's fury at phone snatchers after thieves take her mobile twice in three months
Time Out
3 days ago
- Time Out
Brutalist cinema is coming back to London's iconic Barbican this summer – and the line-up rocks
If you couldn't get tickets to The Odyssey in IMAX, the Barbican has something to take your mind off the disappointment. The City of London landmark's Sculpture Court is hosting another season of outdoor cinema in August – and this unique setting will be witnessing a unique array of movies and filmmakers. On the slate are films by auteurs like David Lynch, Wes Anderson, Claire Denis, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Gina Prince-Bythewood and Koji Hashimoto. The season opens on Wednesday August 20 with David Lynch's Dune and runs for 11 days, closing on Sunday August 31 with cult musical Little Shop of Horrors. Look out for a rare screening of Caribbean dancehall drama Babymother, a film considered to be the first Black British musical, and Prince-Bythewood's influential 2000 romance Love & Basketball. Here's the line-up in full: - Dune (1984) Wed 20 Aug, 8.45pm - Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010)Thu 21 Aug, 8.30pm - Love & Basketball (2000) Fri 22 Aug, 8.30pm - The Return of Godzilla (1984) Sat 23 Aug, 8.30pm - Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) Sun 24 Aug, 8.30pm - Babymother (1998) Tue 26 Aug, 8.30pm - Grave of the Fireflies (1988) Wed 27 Aug, 8.30pm - Fire of Love (2022) Thu 28 Aug, 8.30pm - Beau Travail (1998) Fri 29 Aug, 8.30pm - Björk's Cornucopia (2025) Sat 30 Aug, 8.30pm - Little Shop of Horrors (1986) Sun 31 Aug, 8.30pm Tickets are on sale now from the Barbican site, with standard seats priced £18 or £14.40 for Barbican a whole host of outdoor cinemas in (and around) London this summer, from Everyman's canal-side screen in King's Cross to . Head to our list for all the options.
