How nice the London theatre scene remains. Unlike our Broadway and Off-Broadway, it’s all of one element, really, despite slipping beyond the West End and its classic theatres in recent years. And its biggest sparkle and experimentation are all state-supported, via the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre.
Cheap? Yes, comparably. But ooh, those travel costs these days…so nice, is it not, simply to hasten to Rosendale come a Sunday afternoon, like this February 26, to catch some world-class theatre for what some could consider tuppence, given the possibilities? And you can catch some cutting-edge work, at that. Why, Nicholas Wright’s new Traveling Light, the funny and revealing tribute to Eastern European immigrants becoming major players in Hollywood’s Golden Age of silent films, only opened last month, and runs through March.
It’s all part of the National Theatre’s international high-definition Web broadcast series, started three years ago, which the Rosendale Theatre has been running once a month these days. The series “aims constantly to reenergize the great traditions of the British stage and to expand the horizons of audiences and artists alike. It aspires to reflect in its repertoire the diversity of the culture…tomorrow’s audiences are addressed. Through an extensive program of Platform performances, backstage tours, foyer music, exhibitions and free outdoor entertainment, it recognizes that the theatre doesn’t begin and end with the rise and fall of the curtain.” .
Call for reservations, and make dinner plans for afterwards. And remember: There won’t be any taxis to hail when you depart this production. No, even though you may feel it, you won’t really be in London.
Remember: the National Theatre Live from London production of Traveling Light, a new play by Nicholas Wright. It starts promptly at 2 p.m. this Sunday, February 26 at the Rosendale Theatre, located at 408 Main Street in Rosendale. Call (845) 658-8989 or visit www.rosendaletheatre.org for information and/or reservations.
Join the family! 
