National Theatre - Live Julie -2018 Vanessa Kirby...

The production, directed by Olivier Award-winning director, Nicholas Hytner, was a masterclass in building tension and creating a sense of unease. The set design, by Es Devlin, was simple yet effective, transforming the theatre into a rural village in the late 19th century. The use of lighting and sound was equally impressive, creating an eerie atmosphere that had audiences on the edge of their seats.

For those who cannot travel to London, NT Live democratizes this intensity. The 2018 broadcast was seen by over 250,000 people in 600 cinemas across 30 countries. It preserved a performance that was only staged for a few months, ensuring that Kirby’s seismic interpretation lives forever. National Theatre Live Julie -2018 Vanessa Kirby...

The power dynamics of their relationship are dizzying. Initially, Jean is in control: the working-class pragmatist trying to calm his mistress’s hysteria. But as Julie degrades herself, she pulls him down with her. The infamous sexual encounter—rendered not as a seduction but as a mutual, panicked collapse—is devastating. Abrefa’s performance of shame is as powerful as Kirby’s performance of ruin. For those who cannot travel to London, NT

No review of is complete without celebrating Eric Kofi Abrefa as Jean. If Kirby is fire, Abrefa is ice. His Jean is a striver—a valet with the vocabulary of a CEO, trapped by his accent and his skin color in a house that tolerates him but will never accept him. The power dynamics of their relationship are dizzying

If you love theatre that bruises, acting that bleeds, and adaptations that dare to burn the original text to the ground, find Julie immediately. Just be prepared to sit in silence for a long time after the credits roll.

, featuring Vanessa Kirby as the self-destructive heiress in a London setting. Directed by Carrie Cracknell and written by Polly Stenham, this intense production of power and class dynamics was broadcast globally via National Theatre Live. For more details, visit National Theatre at Home Visit South Devon

You can watch this 2018 National Theatre Live performance on the National Theatre website. There's Something About Julie: NT Live Review