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Yo ho ho! The origin of literally every pirate cliché ever, from chests of doubloons to parrots on shoulders to walking the plank to going ‘Arr’, Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘Treasure Island’ is one of those embedded classics that you might well never have read, but you sort of know anyway. Tonight, the National Theatre is streaming its version of the book in Polly Findlay’s acclaimed production. It stars Patsy Ferran as a gender-blind Jim and Arthur Darvill as Long John Silver.
When Time Out reviewed it in 2014 we positively frothed at the mouth over this ‘big mad scary gothic feminist coming-of-age panto, anchored by stupendous special effects – and a plucky hero who’s actually a heroine’, particularly loving Lizzie Clachan’s stage design: ‘an extraordinary ship [that] rises and tilts beneath a dazzling canopy of artificial stars’.
So, it’s proper transportive. And following the good news that the Old Vic has just opened booking for ‘A Christmas Carol’ in November, ON STAGE, this is the perfect opportunity to settle down with a tot of rum and soak up a magical classic.
‘Treasure Island’ is streaming on the National Theatre’s YouTube channel from 7pm BST tonight (Thu Apr 16). It’s available until 7pm on Thu Apr 23 but you’ll need to start watching by 5pm BST to see it all.
See the whole National Theatre Live streaming line-up here.
Find more great theatre to stream here.