Episodes
| Episode | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 20191119 | by Sarah Wooley 1963. Sir Laurence Olivier becomes the first Artistic Director of the National Theatre. But there are many political battles ahead, not least with his lieutenant, the critic Kenneth Tynan Sir Laurence Olivier . . . Robert Glenister Directed by Marc Beeby The first of three dramas about the birth of the National Theatre. Funded at huge cost to the taxpayer, the `theatre to end all theatres` was front page news in its early years. Running it was a high stakes political business as much as it was an artistic one. Never before had one theatre been the focus for such relentless national debate about the relationship between the arts, government, press and the public. Politics and theatre do battle in the fight to establish a successful National Theatre. Politics and theatre do battle in the fight to establish a successful National Theatre | |
| 01 | 20191119 | 20211004 (R4) | by Sarah Wooley 1963. Sir Laurence Olivier becomes the first Artistic Director of the National Theatre. But there are many political battles ahead, not least with his lieutenant, the critic Kenneth Tynan Sir Laurence Olivier . . . Robert Glenister Directed by Marc Beeby The first of three dramas about the birth of the National Theatre. Funded at huge cost to the taxpayer, the `theatre to end all theatres` was front page news in its early years. Running it was a high stakes political business as much as it was an artistic one. Never before had one theatre been the focus for such relentless national debate about the relationship between the arts, government, press and the public. Politics and theatre do battle in the fight to establish a successful National Theatre. Politics and theatre do battle in the fight to establish a successful National Theatre |
| 02 | 20191120 | by Sarah Wooley 1971. With Sir Laurence Olivier due to end his tenure as Artistic Director, the Board attempts to find a successor - with potentially disastrous consequences. Sir Laurence Olivier . . . Robert Glenister Directed by Marc Beeby Battles ensue as the National struggles to find a successor to Sir Laurence Olivier. Politics and theatre do battle in the fight to establish a successful National Theatre | |
| 02 | 20191120 | 20211005 (R4) | by Sarah Wooley 1971. With Sir Laurence Olivier due to end his tenure as Artistic Director, the Board attempts to find a successor - with potentially disastrous consequences. Sir Laurence Olivier . . . Robert Glenister Directed by Marc Beeby Battles ensue as the National struggles to find a successor to Sir Laurence Olivier. Politics and theatre do battle in the fight to establish a successful National Theatre |
| 03 | 20191121 | by Sarah Wooley Plans for the opening of the new National Theatre building are threatened by construction delays and industrial action. Meanwhile, new Artistic Director, Peter Hall, faces criticism from inside the organisation itself. Peter Hall . . . Sam Troughton Directed by Marc Beeby Union unrest, building delays and vicious infighting dog the opening of the new theatre Politics and theatre do battle in the fight to establish a successful National Theatre | |
| 03 | 20191121 | 20211006 (R4) | by Sarah Wooley Plans for the opening of the new National Theatre building are threatened by construction delays and industrial action. Meanwhile, new Artistic Director, Peter Hall, faces criticism from inside the organisation itself. Peter Hall . . . Sam Troughton Directed by Marc Beeby Union unrest, building delays and vicious infighting dog the opening of the new theatre Politics and theatre do battle in the fight to establish a successful National Theatre |