Review
"'An engrossing revival of a serious classic' Daily Mail 'New prose translation by Edward Kemp, lucid, colloquial and witty' The Times. 'Edward Kemp's terrific translation balances German gravitas with a comic deftness' FT 'A striking... mix of ethical preaching and comedy - with notable echoes of The Merchant of Venice... this multicultural tale is certainly relevant to our time' Independent on Sunday."
Product Description
London revival for this surprise hit from Chichester on the topical theme of religious tolerance. Opens at Hampstead Theatre in September 2005 - starring Michael Pennington, Jerusalem, 1192. An uneasy stalemate exists between the Muslim forces of Saladin and the western Crusaders. Caught in the middle, the Jews. All sides respect Nathan for his wisdom and his wealth. But in a war-zone no one is secure. Banned by the Nazis, Lessing's 18th-century masterpiece is a passionate plea for religious tolerance, first seen in this version at Chichester Festival Theatre in 2003, unanimously well reviewed.
About the Author
G.E. Lessing (1729-81) wrote three plays in addition to Nathan the Wise (1779): Miss Sara Sampson (1755), based on the novels of Samuel Richardson and revived at the National Theatre, London, by Declan Donnellan; Minna von Barnhelm (1767), the first German comedy, and Emilia Galotti (1772), a 'Middle-class tragedy'. Edward Kemp is a writer, director and literary manager at Chichester Festival Theatre. Other work includes a two-part adaptation of The Mysteries for the RSC, published by NHB and a new play about the Gunpowder Plot, 5/11, premiered at Chichester in August 2005.
