Nicholas Wright’s new play tells the early story of film and its origins in Eastern Europe.Travelling Light catalogues the formative years of Motl Mendl as he returns to his village on the death of his father to reflect on his fascination with the moving image.
Narrated by an older Motl now a Hollywood mogul, the play uses the characteristics of the local villagers to show how the American film industry was inspired by the folk tales of Eastern European Jewry.
Anthony Sher plays the local factory owner Jacob, whose interventions and advice, albeit frequently unwelcome, set the pace for many of the technical developments while also providing the production’s comic moments.
However, while Sher is often entertaining, and there is a love interest of sorts, I found the lead character unsympathetic and the pace of the play a bit leisurely to be entirely gripping.
Overall though Travelling Light, directed by Nicholas Hytner, is a gentle and occasionally interesting introduction to early cinema.
After a short national tour, Travelling Light returns to the Lyttelton stage at the National Theatre until June 2.
