Back to browse
78% Critic Match
National Theatre Live: Phèdre
“The result is carnage.”
7.8 / 10• 2009• 2h 5m•NR• English
Drama
Storyline
A new English adaptation of the classic French tragedy Phèdre by Jean Racine (1639-1699). It retells the ancient Greek tale of the wife of the Atenian King Theseus, who conceived a forbidden love for his son (by an earlier wife) Hyppolytus. All ends badly for all. One of the first five episodes also released on terrestrial TV on a 2009 BBC TV series titled "National Theatre Live".
Cast & Crew
Helen Mirren
Phèdre
Lead
Dominic Cooper
Hippolytus
Ruth Negga
Aricia
Chipo Chung
Ismene
John Shrapnel
Théramène
Margaret Tyzack
Oenone
Wendy Morgan
Panope
Stanley Townsend
Theseus
What People Are Saying
4.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Robin Lough's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
4.0
“Every frame feels alive. National Theatre Live: Phèdre is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
