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National Theatre on Tour

A new play by Nicholas Wright, starring Antony Sher

For two for one tickets to this production, check out our Discover Deal!

How had a twenty-two year-old pretentious layabout made a discovery that would elude every other cinematic pioneer for years to come? 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. Forty years on, Motl – now a famed American film director – looks back on his early life and confronts the cost of fulfilling his dreams.

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.

The award-winning Antony Sher – whose previous work with the National Theatre includes Primo and Stanley – will play the role of Jacob.

Post-show Talk: Wednesday 4 April (after the evening performance)