Network @ The National Theatre, London

This adaption of Paddy Chayefsky film Network which won four Academy Awards back in 1976 is simply the best thing I have ever seen staged at a theatre. Gobsmackingly so.

The set, in The National Theatre's Lyttelton Theatre is a set to wonder, containing among other things, a TV station control room, a fully functioning restaurant and bar serving a three-course meal with drinks to ticket paying patrons, (could not get a ticket for there), a Kitchen serving the restaurant, changing/makeup room. a huge screen centre stage rear and behind the glassed-in control area another bank of TV screens. And finally, the large central area where some but not all of the action takes place.

Then on top of that, there are at least four camera people recording the whole action which we can see on the various screens especially the large central one. At one point, two actors are filmed walking outside live between the NT and BFI as they talk and in the same movement walk out on stage.

To put it colloquially, Un-Fucking-Believable.

And then there is Bryan Cranston, taking on the Peter Finch role as Howard Beale which won him the Oscar in 1977. Perfectly cast, perfectly performed, with some brilliant set pieces, not only to the audience in the theatre, but to the camera which was only feet away from him and which we saw everything in minute detail. Loved his venture out into the audience where he sat between two young men and his grimaces to their somewhat inane (hardly surprising) replies to his questions that was relayed to the rest of us via the huge screen.

Standing ovations at the end, with a huge cheer going up for Cranston himself when he took the second bow alone.

Only eight performances left for this Sold Out season, returns only and a limited amount for Wednesday 21st March but you have to queue for them. If the NT revives the play again, no doubt with another lead actor, it does not matter as it will be someone equally as well suited and capable as Cranston, 

JUST GET TICKETS!

BRILLIANT!

The actors leave the stage, the house lights come up, but it is not finished. On the big screen, from I think Gerald Ford, the presidential acceptance ceremony is relayed, just the formal acceptance words. The audience hold back because they can see where this is going, all quiet from the viewers until Obama when a huge cheer goes up. And then Trump with the acceptance played out in full. Absolute derision and boos etc before someone to the left of us and above the cacophony shouts FUCK YOU. Applause and laughter all round and we all leave.
Except, a number of the issues espoused by Howard Beale and his I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE! speech is exactly what bought Trump to the White House. Food for thought.