Three award-winning plays will be broadcast Live in HD from Britain's National Theatre to The Ridgefield Playhouse in October. First up is Othello on Monday, October 14, followed by Macbeth on Monday, the 21st, and Frankenstein on, very fittingly, Thursday, October 31, all at 6:30 p.m. The NTL in HD series brings the best of British theatre live to cinemas worldwide. These events are underwritten by the following supporters: Jeanne Cook, Anita and Nicholas Donofrio, Liz and Steven Goldstone, Marilyn and Joe Kreitz, Joanne and John Patrick, Sabina and Walter Slavin, Taylor Zemo Foundation and The Ridgefield Press with support from Starbucks and media sponsor WSHU.
Olivier Award-winning actor Adrian Lester plays the title role of Othello. Opposite him as the duplicitous Iago is fellow Olivier Award-winner Rory Kinnear. Kenneth Branagh stars in his first Shakespeare performance in over a decade in Macbeth, and Alex Kingston (Doctor Who, ER) plays Lady Macbeth. This is Shakespeare at its finest. This event is partially underwritten by The Manhattan Club.
A monster hit, Frankenstein is directed by Oscar-winner Danny Boyle whose production has been declared sensational with Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller alternating roles as Victor Frankenstein and his creation. Childlike in his innocence but grotesque in form, Frankenstein's bewildered creature is cast out into a hostile universe by his horror-struck maker. What better way to spend Halloween! And critics love Frankenstein: "A theatrical coup." (The Times) Daily Telegraph praises: "A thrill. The most viscerally exciting and stunning show in town." According to Daily Mail, Frankenstein is "A memorable production... will doubtless be spoken of for years to come."
For tickets ($25 adults, $18 each for NTL series, $20 seniors & $15 students by calling the box office), call (203) 438-5795, or order online at ridgefieldplayhouse.org. The Ridgefield Playhouse is a not-for-profit performing arts center located at 80 East Ridge, parallel to Main Street, Ridgefield, CT.