Sandra Oh's debut on a London stage is coming to cinema screens. The Misanthrope, a National Theatre Live broadcast of the National Theatre's reimagining of Molière's 1666 dark comedy, features the Emmy and Golden Globe winner in the title role of Alice, a brilliant novelist who despises the carefully constructed lies of modern society.
The Modern has partnered with Fort Worth theater company Amphibian Stage on programming. In this reimagining, Alice faces backlash for challenging those around her and confronts the cost of speaking openly. The role marked Sandra Oh's stage debut at London's National Theatre, as reported by the Evening Standard.
The stage version that was filmed for this broadcast ran at the National Theatre's Lyttelton Theatre in London from June 16 to August 1, 2026, with an official opening night on June 23. Per Playbill, the production reunited Oh with co-stars Tom Mison as Stefan and Paul Chahidi as John, alongside costume and set designs by Robert Jones and an original score by Anna Meredith. National Theatre Live then made the production available for international cinema screenings beginning September 22, 2026, according to WhatsOnStage.
A Modern Update of a 17th-Century Classic
The text behind the production traces back decades before this staging. Martin Crimp's adaptation of Molière's Le Misanthrope had an earlier version in 1996. This production centers on Alice, a modern female novelist, rather than Molière's original male protagonist, Alceste. The text's rhyming couplets give the centuries-old satire a sharper, contemporary edge.
The production arrives during Indhu Rubasingham's tenure as Director of the National Theatre.
How the Broadcast Gets to the Modern's Auditorium
National Theatre Live began in June 2009 with a broadcast of Phèdre starring Helen Mirren. The Modern reports that the program reaches almost 400 cinemas worldwide.
National Theatre Live’s International Reach
The National Theatre’s 2023/24 annual report records that National Theatre Live released eight productions to cinemas in almost 50 countries that year. Those screenings drew over 750,000 viewers across more than 20,000 showings, according to the National Theatre’s annual report.
As with any scheduled screening, organizers advise checking with the venue to confirm the event is proceeding as planned, since events can change due to weather or other concerns.
