LENFEST CENTER PRESENTS NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE: "FRANKENSTEIN"

National Theatre Live Season: "Frankenstein" in W&L's Stackhouse Theater, Elrod Commons on Monday, April 7th at 7:30 p.m.

W&L's Lenfest Center adds 'National Theatre Live' to their Outreach & Engagement Season Series

The best of British theater shown on the Stackhouse Theater cinema screen!

National Theatre Live's much loved broadcast, "Frankenstein," will premiere April 7, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. in the W&L Stackhouse Theater located in Elrod Commons. Running time is 140 minutes and is R Rated.

Tickets are required. $20 GENERAL ADMISSION; $8 W&L STUDENT/STUDENT

W&L's Lenfest Center's University Outreach & Engagement Series announces their newest season addition-the 'National Theatre Live' series-screenings of top British theater productions. 

Lenfest Director Jordan Peimer states, "We are thrilled to be bringing National Theatre Live to Washington and Lee University and the Lexington community. This will allow us access to some of the most prominent actors in their most important roles without traveling hours to see them. Furthermore, it allows us here to participate in important global conversations raised by internationally well-known artists."

The O&E Series addition is focused on bringing National Theatre Live to the W&L campus-connecting university knowledge and art experiences on the W&L campus and beyond to the community in a mutually beneficial partnership.

The Times reports, "Frankenstein" by Nick Dear and based on the novel by Mary Shelley is "A hell of a production." Childlike in his innocence but grotesque in form, Frankenstein's bewildered creature is cast out into a hostile universe by his horror-struck maker. Meeting with cruelty wherever he goes, the increasingly desperate and vengeful creature determines to track down his creator and strike a terrifying deal. 

Directed by Academy Award-winner Danny Boyle, featuring Jonny Lee Miller as the Creature and Benedict Cumberbatch as Victor Frankenstein. Boyle is an Oscar winning director of "Slumdog Millionaire;" "Trainspotting;" "127 Hours;" and the 2012 Olympic cereomines.

Jonny Lee Miller showed us the rapid progress of the Creature, both mentally and physically, gradually becoming more active and fluid in movement. Cumberbatch was able to bring out Frankenstein's descent into pride-driven insanity as he struggled to come to terms with the result of his experiments.

Miller's theater performances include "Frankenstein" at the National Theatre directed by Danny Boyle, for which he won an Olivier Award for Best Actor; "After Miss Julie" (Broadway); "Someone Who'll Watch Over Me" (West End); "Four Knights in Knaresborough" (Tricycle Theatre); and "Beautiful Thing" (Bush Theatre).

Benedict Cumberbatch, one of the world's most acclaimed and popular actors, has hit the mainstream this year enjoying a huge hit playing Sherlock Holmes in the BBC's modern take on Conan Doyle's books "Sherlock."

Trained at LAMDA, Cumberbatch's past stage roles include work for the Open Air Theatre and the Almeida—including an Olivier Award nomination for his performance in "Hedda Gabler" in 2005. On TV and film he has played alongside Rebecca Hall in "Starter for Ten," gave an acclaimed performance as Stephen Hawking for the BBC, and played William Pitt in Michael Apted's movie "Amazing Grace."

National Theatre Live brings the fabulous world of London's professional theater and entertainment to Lexington-forever changing the ‘watching' experience and imagination of going to the theater. It mysteriously persuades and convinces the audience they are a part of the theater-watching the drama live as it unfolds and questioning whether it will go as planned? Giving audiences the chance to see beyond the play itself.

National Theatre Live's state-of-the-art filming techniques are tailored to every play, bringing you each performance as it happens. From close-ups that capture tiny flickers of emotion, to sweeping wide shots. BBC journalist Samira Ahmed states, "The way it is shot is cream of great television and screen directing creating theater in the cinema."

On-line ticket sales are available at https://my.wlu.edu/lenfest-center/national-theatre-live-season-opens-with-prima-facie. Taxes and processing fees are included in ticket pricing.

The Box Office is open for in-person sales Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. and is accessible only when undergraduate classes are in session. Forms of payment include cash, check or credit card. Patrons can contact the Box Office by calling 540.458.8000 or emailing boxoffice@wlu.edu. Tickets can be bought the night of the performance on site at the Stackhouse Theater.

The National Theatre Live is sponsored in part by Class of '64 Performing Arts Fund.