The National Theatre - Timon of Athens

Jonny saw a production of Shakespeare's rarely-produced tragedy at the National Theatre, staged by its artistic director Nicholas Hytner. When he was last in London, Jonny's saw Hytner's brilliant staging of the Restoration Comedy Man of Mode, in which Hytner displayed a unique genius for cleverly making classical material seem contemporary. The genius was no less evident in Timon of Athens, although the cleverness often overwhelmed the tragedy so that the emotional punch was lacking. That was probably more the fault of the play (which is decidedly second-rate Shakespeare) than of Hytner's direction of it.

A statue of the National Theatre's founding director Laurence Oliver, as Hamlet.

Jonny doing one of his favorite things, drinking wine at the National Theatre bar.

The distinguished Shakespearean actor Simon Russell Beale (standing) as Timon of Athens.