“A theatrical feast of production, employing a full expanse of poetics and pyrotechnics in scenes horrific and comic, a gourmand's banquet of virtuosic writing and stagecraft.” —The New York Times

“It will enter the Guinness Book of Records either because it's the most awful thing ever to happen, or the longest, or the best.” —Sir Peter Hall

An unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at one of the most talked-about theatre events of our time—Tantalus, the ten-hour, nine-play cycle written by Royal Shakespeare Company co-founder John Barton and directed by Sir Peter Hall. The documentary team follows the work through a tempestuous six-month rehearsal process—under four Hall subalterns—to the grand opening before a house packed with international journalists.

The filmmakers take a no-holds-barred approach, exposing the fears, creative tensions, and euphoric breakthroughs over the rehearsal period. We are present for the volcanic conflicts between author and director, the grueling rehearsals, the resignations, the schedule havoc, and finally the triumphant opening night. The team was granted full access, roaming freely through rehearsal halls, climbing catwalks as they captured the gargantuan challenges of mounting this epic reinvention of the ancient Greek myths.

Fifteen years in the writing, seven months in rehearsal, and over ten hours in the playing, Sir Peter Hall's production of John Barton's epic play cycle Tantalus brought together an outstanding international cast, a Greek designer, a Japanese lighting designer, an American choreographer, and an Irish composer to create one of the most extraordinary and ambitious theatrical journeys undertaken in world theater.

VIDEO CREDITS

Produced by
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts
in association with
The Royal Shakespeare Company.