This film is part of Rentals
National Youth Theatre
Inside a youth production of Coriolanus in the run-up to its West End debut
Director: John Bloom and John Crome
Overview
This remarkable film takes us inside a youth production of Shakespeare's Coriolanus, from early rehearsals to opening night. By 1965, the National Youth Theatre was nearly a decade old, with a reputation to earn itself Chalk Farm's Roundhouse as a rehearsal space ("like rehearsing in a coal mine") and a West End run. This was no mere play-acting: the lucky chosen could expect months of hard work and all the pressures of any West End production, from set crises to potentially merciless critics.
Still going strong well into its second half-century, the NYT has had some illustrious alumni including, by this time, two thespian knights and a dame: Sir Derek Jacobi, Sir Ben Kingsley and Dame Helen Mirren. As far as we can tell, none of them are in this company, but we did spot Elisabeth Sladen (Doctor Who's Sarah Jane Smith) and future Bond Timothy Dalton. Can you see any other future stars?
Related
Food of Love Food of Love
Drama 1997 109 mins Director: Stephen Poliakoff
Richard E. Grant leads a dramatic reunion as friends and lovers gather to perform Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night in Stephen Poliakoff’s romantic comedy.
Macbeth Macbeth
Drama 2015 113 mins Director: Justin Kurzel
Fassbender is ferocious as the Scottish king in Justin Kurzel’s red-blooded and viscerally atmospheric Shakespeare adaptation.
Richard III Richard III
Drama 1996 104 mins Director: Richard Loncraine
Ian McKellen and Richard Loncraine’s bold restaging transplants Shakespeare’s play to an imagined 1930s fascist Britain.
Play On! Shakespeare in Silent Film Play On! Shakespeare in Silent Film
Anthology 2016 63 mins Silent Director: Bryony Dixon and Jane Giles
This celebration of silent Shakespeare interweaves a delightful selection of thrilling, iconic and humorous scenes from 24 newly digitised films.
Peg of Old Drury Peg of Old Drury
Biopic 1936 71 mins Director: Herbert Wilcox
Anna Neagle is on luminous form in this exuberant account of celebrated actress Peg Woffington's rise to fame in Georgian London's Theatreland.
Shakespeare Wallah Shakespeare Wallah
Romance 1965 122 mins Director: James Ivory
When a young British actress from a touring troupe falls in love with an Indian playboy, the star-crossed lovers must overcome cultural differences and the scheming of a fierce rival.
Seaside Special Seaside Special
Documentary 2021 93 mins Director: Jens Meurer
Jens Meurer’s bittersweet portrait of Cromer during the Brexit crossroads is also an affectionate homage to British theatrical escapism.
The Summer with Carmen The Summer with Carmen
Comedy 2023 106 mins Director: Zacharias Mavroeidis
A seductive and smart gay comedy set on a cruisy Greek island.
Driving Mum Driving Mum
Comedy 2022 113 mins Director: Hilmar Oddsson
Jon drives his mums corpse across Iceland in Hilmar Oddsson’s darkly comic odyssey of self-discovery and acceptance, beautifully filmed in crisp black and white.
William Tell William Tell
Action and Adventure 2024 133 mins Director: Nick Hamm
A peaceful huntsman is thrust into the heart of the resistance following an Austrian Empire invasion, in this gripping retelling of a timeless legend.
The Crime is Mine The Crime is Mine
Thriller 2022 103 mins Director: François Ozon
François Ozon’s witty 1930s farce about a penniless actress who finds fame while on trial for murder, featuring a riotous performance from Isabelle Huppert.
Barrio Boy Barrio Boy
Romance 2022 83 mins Director: Dennis Shinners
A Latino barber embarks on an erotically charged odyssey of self-discovery over one hot summer in Brooklyn.