National Theatre
Travelling Light
A new play by Nicholas Wright starring Antony Sher.
Tue 13 March - Sat 17 March
This event has passed.
Opening night reviews are in!
4 stars - The Public Reviews
'a moving snapshot of early cinema which will fire imaginations' - Daily Post
Video
Description
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.
"I was obsessed with the way she looked on screen. I used to say to her, it was as though there was a light underneath her skin. One could see right into her soul. Like she’d invented a new language that everyone in the world could understand."
Forty years on, Motl – now the famed American film director Maurice Montgomery – looks back on his early life and confronts the cost of fulfilling his dreams, both to himself and those he left behind. 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; and a haunting look at the stories we tell about our own lives.
Nicholas Hytner directs the award-winning Antony Sher (whose previous work with the National Theatre includes Primo and Stanley) in the role of Jacob.
Reviews
'A love letter to the movies' * * * * The Guardian
'Enchanting... A golden-hearted tragicomic fable.' The Times
'Anthony Sher is explosively energetic.' Evening Standard
Extra Information
Captioned performance by Stagetext
Fri 16 March 7.30pm.
Find out how to book.
Audio Described performance by Vocaleyes
Sat 17 March 2pm.
Touch Tour 1pm.
Find out how to book.
Cast and production team
Cast includes
Paul Jesson
Lauren O'Neil
Antony Sher
Director
Nicholas Hytner
Set Designer
Bob Crowley
Costume Designer
Vicki Mortimer
Lighting Designer
Bruno Poet
Music
Grant Olding
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