The National Theatre’s incredible Public Acts production, Pericles, in partnership with the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, saw a company of over 200 amateur actors, dancers and musicians of all ages together with 10 professional actors, take over its Olivier stage this weekend. The production has inspired audiences, empowered its participants and has celebrated and connected London’s diverse communities.
Here’s what the critics have been saying about this unique piece of community Theatre:
★★★★★ ‘The extraordinary ordinary people who fill the stage, fill our senses, fill our hearts with what our home can be’ Broadway World
★★★★★ ‘Inclusive, empowering, revitalising, celebratory, multicultural, multilingual and downright fun’ The Times
★★★★★ ‘A terrific example of what can be achieved when you set out to celebrate the glorious range of talent and people there is across London. I’m gleefully looking forward to the next stage of Public Acts’ Musical Theatre Review
★★★★ ‘The cast's joy in taking part and its transformative power are palpable and very affecting, but I was also impressed by the rigour and discipline on view. An uplifting achievement ’The Independent
★★★★’Celebrates multicultural diversity with a zing that makes you want to dance in the aisles’ The Arts Desk
★★★★ ‘A joyous, lively and community-focused reimagining of Shakespeare’ The Stage
★★★★‘There’s no faulting the sheer scale, diversity and commitment of this production. It was something rarely seen on stage: art genuinely imitating life, with a stage teeming with young and old, energetic children and people in wheelchairs, and all sorts of ethnicities’ London Theatre 1
★★★★ ‘The cast of Pericles truly charms the audience, receiving a much-deserved standing ovation and making the Olivier stage a place of wonderful unity’ The Upcoming
‘A gradual transformative magic works on us’ The Daily Telegraph
‘The joy is watching ordinary folk come out of their shells’ What’s On Stage
