Ben Brantley Answers Your London Theater Questions

Confessing Sins In London #2

What do you recommend to see in London in the fall? We do like to go to London theaters that are Off Broadway such as the Almeida, but we are not familiar with any others. And, no, Harry Potter doesnt whet my whistle. Jean Conlon, New York

Of course I wont have seen much of what will be running this fall (theres a quick turnover on British stages, especially among the institutional theaters). But I would think that the aforementioned Entertainer might be a good bet. (It will be on until Nov. 12 at the Garrick.) Theres a new Amadeus opening at the National Theater, if youre a fan of that play, and Im intrigued by a generations-sweeping work at the Almeida, Oil, written by Ella Hickson, directed by Carrie Cracknell and starring Anne-Marie Duff, all women of formidable talent.

The seasons big-event play bids fair to be a new King Lear at the Old Vic, starring Glenda Jackson, a two-time Oscar winner and fierce stage performer who retired from acting in the early 1990s to become a member of Parliament. Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, two titans always worth seeing, will be reprising their roles in Harold Pinters No Mans Land. A new revival of Tom Stoppards intellectually antic Travesties will be on at the Menier, directed by the playwright Patrick Marber. If your tastes run to charismatic young leading men, Dominic Cooper will be portraying the decadent Earl of Rochester in The Libertine.

One of the highlights of the National Theaters season was a magnificent production of Lorraine Hansberrys final (unfinished) play, Les Blancs. Will New York get to see this definitive version of a very important American play? It raises the interesting question of why so many key American plays and musicals have received fine even revelatory productions in London. Howard Schuman, London

Im sick I missed that production, Mr. Schuman. However, Stateside, this summer the Goodman Theater presented a much-praised and by all accounts illuminating revival of Hansberrys The Sign in Sidney Brusteins Window, which many theatergoers are hoping will be reincarnated elsewhere. Its true that many neglected or seemingly worn-out American classics have been reborn in London. Sometimes it takes an outsiders eye to see beyond a familiar or frayed surface.

What small theater company do you always check up on? Im a fan of Menier Chocolate Factory and Hampstead Theater, but know theres more out there. Mary Crowley, London

I, too, love intimate theaters, and London has a lively selection. The Finborough Theater, a tiny space above a pub not far from Earls Court, always has a tantalizingly adventurous schedule, often featuring plays (old and new) youd never get to see otherwise. The Southwark Playhouse is another theater that does wonders in transforming a small space, and even dares to reimagine big musicals (like Grand Hotel) within its confines. And every fan of classical theater should experience, at least once, the candle-lighted Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, the magical winter home of Shakespeares Globe, where you can pretend youre a Renaissance audience member, though without the attendant discomfort.

What is the general feeling about the regime of Rufus Norris at the National compared to the over all financially and (at least in my opinion) artistically successful Hytner years? David Perkovich, Oak Park, Ill.

Its still early days, having only been 18 months since Mr. Norriss ascension. I cant say Ive seen anything that I felt I unconditionally had to have seen at the National in that period. But, yes, Mr. Hytner is indeed a hard act to follow, especially given his history of breakout blockbuster productions like One Man, Two Guvnors and the enduring cash cow (you should pardon the description) War Horse. Its refreshing to have a non-Oxbridge boy in the job, and Mr. Norris seems to have honorable and admirable intentions as a custodian of new and diverse talents. He has said he is not a visionary. I say lets give him another year to find his feet. Heres a link to a recent and revealing Guardian interview with Mr. Norris.

Photo Benedict Cumberbatch in Hamlet. Credit Johan Persson

Who are the best directors of the moment? Pablo Halpern, Bethesda, Md.

Among the mainstream establishment, Id single out Michael Grandage and Mr. Hytner (who both now run their own theater companies) for combining original theatrical wit and resourcefulness with commercial instincts. (Mr. Branaghs new company, in its first year, has been a bit disappointing.) Ive loved what Josie Rourke, the artistic director of the Donmar Warehouse, has done with her all-female interpretations of Shakespeare. Lyndsey Turner has a vital imagination (the Benedict Cumberbatch Hamlet, the current revival of The Faith Healer) and a macro vision to match. John Tiffany (the Harry Potter wizard) combines poetry and razzmatazz like no one else. And Ms. Cracknell (whose Dolls House for the Young Vic was a wonder) is someone whose work Id always want to see.

I have not read any Harry Potter books and I am a senior citizen. Would I understand what is going on in the play? Joan Kiernan, Longboat Key, Fla.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has a highly elaborate plot, which is complicated by its involving time travel and the ability of its magical characters to assume other forms. It also has such blazing theatrical imagery and visual style that you often dont care whether youre following every story twist or not. The program for the show has a helpful glossary and summary of J.K. Rowlings novels, and the script is available to buy. If youre seeing the show, you might want to be your own spoiler and take a look at that first. Also, there are plenty of websites that could bring you up-to-date synoptically on the events and singular vocabulary of Harry Potters world in Ms. Rowlings novels.

There is no one theater critic in London who has the power that you have as the critic for The Times. Why do you think that is and what effect do you think it has on the London theater scene vs. the New York scene? Barbara Weber, New York

Even though newspapers are an endangered species in Britain as in the United States, London still has a broad and lively selection of them, and each of those has a theater critic. In other words, there are a variety of sources for theatergoers to consult, according to what papers they read and how those papers align with their tastes. In New York, sad to say, there are fewer and fewer drama critics. But in both cities, its possible for audiences who mistrust the journalist-critic to seek out other opinion sites on the web.

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Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/04/theater/ben-brantley-answers-your-london-theater-questions.html