

National Theatre Live: The Wife of Willesden
Synopsis
A proper local legend. Married five times. Mother. Lover. Aunt. Friend. Alvita will tell her life story to anyone in the pub – there's no shame in her game. The question is: are you ready to hear it? Because this woman's got the gift of the gab: she can rewrite mistakes into triumphs, turn pain into parables, and her love life's an epic poem. They call her The Wife of Willesden... A play that celebrates the human knack for telling elaborate tales, especially about our own lives. Zadie Smith transports Chaucer's The Wife of Bath to 21st Century North West London, directed by Kiln Theatre Artistic Director, Indhu Rubasingh. A production from Kiln Theatre.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
The Wife of Willesden: Trailer | National Theatre at Home | From Kiln TheatreOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2023-07-11
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →Marcus Adolphy
Winston/Mandela/Black Jesus
George Eggay
Pastor/Eldridge
Andrew Frame
Ian/Socrates/Bartosz
Troy Glasgow
Darren/Young Maroon
Claudia Grant
Polly/Sophie
Nikita Johal
Asma/Kelly
Scott Miller
Ryan/Colin
Jessica Murrain
Author/Zaire/Queen Nanny
Clare Perkins
Alvita, The Wife of Willesden
Ellen Thomas
Aunty P/Old Wife
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Indhu Rubasingham
- Screenplay & Story
- Zadie Smith, Geoffrey Chaucer
- Original Title
- National Theatre Live: The Wife of Willesden
- Country of Origin
- United Kingdom
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 40m
- Production Studios
- National Theatre, Kiln Theatre
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Indhu Rubasingham
Zadie Smith, Geoffrey Chaucer
Department Leadership Roster
Robert Jones
Production Design
Indhu Rubasingham
Director
Geoffrey Chaucer
Writer
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for National Theatre Live: The Wife of Willesden.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring National Theatre Live: The Wife of Willesden.
National Theatre Live
All productions released by National Theatre Live, UK – either done directly by the Royal National Theatre or other UK venues/producers. [**NationalTheatre.org.uk**](https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk) / [**NTLive.com**](https://www.ntlive.com) / [**NTatHome.com**](https://www.ntathome.com) (for its US equivalent, see [**BroadwayHD**](https://www.tmdb.org/company/103196-broadwayhd) and site [**BroadwayHD.com**](https://www.broadwayhd.com).) Some productions were filmed _solely_ for their paid streaming channel "National Theatre at Home", and were branded without the "National Theatre Live" posters which those that also screened in cinemas typically got posters with. (plus: There was a 2009 BBC TV series entry titled "National Theatre Live" with the first five filmed productions that featured additional commentary, at #280519, but this was deleted by a mod!) ______________________________________________________________________ • **2024.05.09.Thu: Plays 1-100** - [**nationaltheatre.org.uk/news/national-theatre-live-100-plays-in-cinemas-1-25**](https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/news/national-theatre-live-100-plays-in-cinemas-1-25) _"National Theatre Live broadcast its 100th title, Nye, live from the Olivier stage. Now buckle up as we’re going to take you on a journey through all 100 NT Lives (you heard that right). From our first to our most recent, join us to recount all the incredible plays that have made it from the stage to the screen – with some fun facts thrown in for good measure!"_ ______________________________________________________________________ **What is National Theatre Live (NTL) & National Theatre at Home (NTaH)?** ([**Wikipedia**](https://w.wiki/9grq)) National Theatre Live is an initiative from the National Theatre (formerly "Royal National Theatre") in London, who record their own plays (and also may do/did some live broadcasts to cinemas too) and other non-National Theatre productions from selected indie/West-End theatre plays in London and beyond in the UK (eg. Chichester, et al.). Unless it's a live cinema viewing, typically once the live theatre run has ended these are then shown in cinemas. NTL cinema audiences are able to view play recordings at cinema screenings in the UK and globally (eg. Australia, Taiwan, et al.), with cinema releases either concurrently (or after an initial cinema release) also released on their paid streaming service National Theatre at Home. NTaH launched in 2020 offering access to over 100 productions, with new titles added monthly. All titles include captions, over 90% available with Audio Description, and a selection available in British Sign Language (BSL). Reaching theatre audiences globally, streaming to over 184 countries, a majority of audiences having never visited the National Theatre's South Bank home, and is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies. 2026 research showed 99% of NTaH's audiences are outside London, with over 60% saying filmed theatre options support wider discoverability and increased overall theatre experiences.
National Theatre
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Frequently Asked Questions About National Theatre Live: The Wife of Willesden
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is National Theatre Live: The Wife of Willesden about?
A proper local legend. Married five times. Mother. Lover. Aunt. Friend. Alvita will tell her life story to anyone in the pub – there's no shame in her game. The question is: are you ready to hear it? Because this woman's got the gift of the gab: she can rewrite mistakes into triumphs, turn pain into parables, and her love life's an epic poem. They call her The Wife of Willesden... A play that celebrates the human knack for telling elaborate tales, especially about our own lives. Zadie Smith transports Chaucer's The Wife of Bath to 21st Century North West London, directed by Kiln Theatre Artistic Director, Indhu Rubasingh. A production from Kiln Theatre.
Who directed National Theatre Live: The Wife of Willesden?
National Theatre Live: The Wife of Willesden was directed by Indhu Rubasingham.
Who stars in National Theatre Live: The Wife of Willesden?
The principal cast of National Theatre Live: The Wife of Willesden includes Marcus Adolphy, George Eggay, Andrew Frame, Troy Glasgow, Claudia Grant.
When was National Theatre Live: The Wife of Willesden released and how long is it?
National Theatre Live: The Wife of Willesden was released in 2022 with a total runtime of 1h 40m.




















