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Theatre

The Hard Problem, National Theatre

21 Feb 15 – 27 May 15, 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM

Mixed reviews for The Hard Problem, Artistic Director of the National Theatre, Nicholas Hytner's final production. This new play by Tom Stoppard is certainly divisive.

By Lucy Brooks on 16/10/2014

1 CW reader is interested
Hard Problem photo: Johan Persson
Hard Problem photo: Johan Persson
The Hard Problem, National Theatre The Hard Problem, National Theatre Lucy Brooks
Culture Whisper says: ⭑⭑⭑⭒⭒
Below is our preview, which explains the background of the show. Click here to read our Tom Stoppard The Hard Problem review.


Over a decade since his last play at the National and five years after writing The Royal Court's Rock’n’Roll, Tom Stoppard is debuting a new “brain-science” play. This highly anticipated intellectual experience was set to be one the best theatre shows in London, staged in the intimacy of the new Dorfman Theatre (formerly the Cottesloe), but the reviews are in -- and very mixed. Critical reactions range from an impressive four stars to a distinctly disappointed two.
A momentous moment
One of the most celebrated British playwrights, Tom Stoppard delivers a play every four or five years: he chooses a subject matter, usually abstract, heavily researches it and then works out its dramatic possibilities. This time his play’s focus is not on erectile dysfunction as he joked to the Daily Mail but on consciousness and evolutionary biology. It is Stoppard's first stage play at the National Theatre since his trilogy The Coast of Utopia in 2002 and it will be the last show directed by the National Theatre’s head, Nicholas Hytner (Othello, Hamlet, One Man Two Guvnors) before he hands over the reins to Rufus Norris. Securing a Stoppard debut is quite the coup for Hytner's last hurrah; he admits that he has been "nagging" the playwright "twice a year since 2001" to pen a new play for the National.
Science and belief
Famously outspoken on every subject but himself, Stoppard’s work (The Invention of Love, Arcadia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead) often centres on intellectual and philosophical examination. The Hard Problem is no different. Confronting the tumultuous ground when science meets psychology, it explores the disintegration of our beliefs when we realise that science may not hold all the answers. The play’s title is inspired by Australian philosopher and scientist David Chalmers, a specialist in the philosophy of the mind: he introduced the term "hard problem" in relation to human consciousness.
Stoppard uses the private turmoil of his characters, such as psychology researcher Hilary, to highlight the clash between pure science and the workings of the mind. If there is nothing but matter, what is consciousness?
The cast
Actress Olivia Vinall will make her third appearance on stage at the National. Having made her debut under Hytner's direction in Othello, she went on to star in Sam Mendes's acclaimed King Lear. With these weighty Shakespeare tragedies under her belt, Vinall is an exciting choice for a new work. She will star alongside Damien Molony (Being Human, Ripper Street)

The Hard Problem: extended run and more tickets released

Tickets for The Hard Problem sold out in minutes -- hardly surprising for a show that celebrates the meeting of two of the brightest minds in British theatre: Stoppard and Hytner, staged in the most intimate space of the National Theatre. Luckily, for those who missed out on a hot ticket, the run has been extended, with more tickets released at 8:30 am on Thursday 12th February.
N.T Live: The Hard Problem on screen
For those that miss out on tickets, can't get to London, or simply want to relive a masterful performance through the details of the big screen, The Hard Problem will be broadcast live from the Dorfman Theatre on 16 April to over 550 cinemas across the UK. When Culture Whisper caught up with lead actress Olivia Vinall for an interview, she confessed that it was prospect of performing for the cameras that made her most nervous: "the fact that it’s going out live, recorded, people can play it back… it’s permanent… what if your costume breaks?". For information about N.TLive and to book, click here.


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recommendations



What The Hard Problem, National Theatre
Where National Theatre, South Bank, London, SE1 9PX | MAP
Nearest tube Waterloo (underground)
When 21 Feb 15 – 27 May 15, 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Price £15-£50
Website Click here for more information and to book via the National Theatre



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    What the critics say

    THE GUARDIAN

    "a rich, ideas-packed work that offers a defence of goodness whatever its ultimate source... Stoppard’s play may not solve the hard problem of human consciousness. But it offers endless stimulation and represents, like so much of his work, a search for absolute values and a belief in the possibility of selfless virtue."

     Michael Billington

    THE TELEGRAPH

    "a major disappointment... whereas Arcadia settled in your soul, The Hard Problem barely gets skin-deep. At times I had to pinch myself that it was written by the great man himself; and at others moments I almost had to pinch myself to stay awake. Even though it’s only 100 minutes long, at points it drags and even bores."

    Dominic Cavendish

    THE INDEPENDENT

    "I wish I could say that The Hard Problem rises triumphantly to this hotly anticipated occasion. In truth, though, it's a bit of a disappointment."

    Paul Taylor

    Hytner's legacy

    The Hard Problem will be Nicholas Hytner’s last production at the theatre he has headed since 2003. During that time, he has launched the Travelex £12 ticket scheme, introduced NT Live to broadcast live recorded performances in cinemas across the world (The Hard Problem will be on screens from 16 April 2015), built The Shed and redeveloped the Cottesloe Theatre into the Dorfman. He has famously worked with Alan Bennett on a number of plays at the theatre, including The History Boys (2004), but has never directed Stoppard there, until now.

    Practical 

    THE BRAND NEW DORFMAN THEATRE

    The National's Cottesloe theatre has been renamed in honour of Travelex Chairman and generous benefactor Lloyd Dorfman. As the smallest of the theatrical spaces, this extensive refurbishment and subsequent rebranding was part of Nicholas Hytner's plan to extend the National Theatre's reach and increase variety and flexibility of productions. And, excitingly, the renovations mean that an extra 27,000 tickets per year will be available for this sought-after and intimate stage space.

What members say

    Spellbinding evening with my first Tom Stoppard play - Olivia Vinall was wonderful and the subject was complex, but fascinating. It did feel overworked Read more

    Ali Godwin

    I was lucky enough to get tickets for the Hard Problem. What a riveting evening! I had never been to a Stoppard play before and it was a revelation. I Read more

    Eleonore Dresch

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