National Theatre Live’s 2010 broadcast of Alan Bennett’s acclaimed play The Habit of Art, with Richard Griffiths, Alex Jennings and Frances de la Tour, returns to cinemas as part of the National Theatre's 50th anniversary celebrations. Benjamin Britten, sailing uncomfortably close to the wind with his new opera, Death in Venice, seeks advice from his former collaborator and friend, W H Auden. During this imagined meeting, their first for twenty-five years, they are observed and interrupted by, amongst others, their future biographer and a young man from the local bus station. Alan Bennett’s play is as much about the theatre as it is about poetry or music. It looks at the unsettling desires of two difficult men, and at the ethics of biography. It reflects on growing old, on creativity and inspiration, and on persisting when all passion’s spent: ultimately, on the habit of art.
Three hundred years after she fled the Witch Academy for love, Saxána has settled into a comfortable human life with her husband and daughter, until her curious little girl, Saxánka, uncovers her mother’s hidden magical past and is whisked away to the Fairy Realm. There, amid dwarfs, dragons, and mischievous spirits, Saxánka with her newfound fairy friends to unravel a tangle of enchanted dangers and stop the comic-book gangster Crashman from plunging the realm into ruin.
The story takes place in modern-day eastern Serbia, still fertile ground for various forms of superstition and prejudice. Zorica is a village girl who carries a curse. Ever since her first boyriend mysteriously drowned in the river, men around her are dying in most bizarre ways. The plot thickens when stubborn policeman Maane who doesn't believe in 'village tales' tries to investigate whether Zorica is a serial killer or a girl looking for love.
Clumsy as an elephant and long as a perch, one day she becomes Princess Felicia, called Feliška. Who's involved? The wicked and envious witch Vranimura, who does not wish the princess a handsome noble groom and bewitches Felice's feet. Thanks to her witchcraft skills, Vranimura charms the prince for a while, but brave Feliška is not so easily deprived of her beloved suitor...
Betty, while reading a book of Mother Goose stories, wishes she could visit such a wonderful place. Betty's wish is granted when Mother Goose appears, and gives her a tour of Mother Goose Land. Betty has a wonderful time until Little Miss Muffet's spider chases her, with lecherous ends in mind. All of the characters come to Betty's rescue. Betty wakes up in bed with all the fairy tale characters surrounding her.
In one royal forest, where coal miner Patočka lives and works, the friendly dragon Mrak settles down. The king's lackeys come across him while hunting and, terrified, go to sell the news to the king. He is currently organizing his daughter Viola's birthday party. The hunters describe the dragon in terrifying colors, and so the king concludes that the dragon will, according to tradition, want the king's daughter. So he announces a reward for killing the dragon, but no one wants to fight him. The only one who applies is the princess's favorite, the lutenist Marian, but the king does not like him, so he throws him out. Her brother Jan wants to save the princess, but the king doesn't want to allow it...
While at the royal ball with Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood finds herself in the middle of a mystery. Can she solve the case before midnight strikes?
Poor weavers Hans (Horst Drinda) und Kumpan (Werner Lierck) try to enter a town surrounded by a tall, impenetrable wall, where everyone is apparently very happy. When they finally make it inside, the tyrannical Emperor Max demands they make him new clothes that would "bring all creatures to their knees." Hans and Kumpan claim only intelligent people can see the robe, and in order to prove himself clever, the emperor haughtily displays himself before his subjects wearing his new invisible regalia.
An aging actress has a hard time admitting she is too old to play the ingenue role anymore.
During building work in the city of Baden-Baden in 2015, an evil troll who was transformed into stone in the 15th century, is accidentally brought back to life. To prevent being unmasked, the Troll slips into the body of Vanessa and enslaves her. Vanessa Troll then goes looking for Charlie, the virgin boyfriend of Vanessa's daughter, as The Troll needs his blood to evoke a portal to a magical prison. Will the Troll's plans find success?
A story about Nasreddin - a funny and adventurous hero of many Mid-Asian tales.
The film is a cautionary tale about the need to develop good work habits, personal responsibility and conscience in life.
A man pretends to be an imbecile so that he may work at an all-girls school.
A collection of classic fairy tales such as Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood, with a nod and a wink to contemporary times. The film offers characters such as the 'ugly sisters' Paris and Hilton, an updated relationship between Red Riding Hood and the big bad wolf, homosexuality and corny humor. Also musical scenes in which the characters sing the songs of current pop artists as well as many popular Dutch hits.
A recording of the legendary production “Audience“ from the Prague Drama Club with Josef Abrhám and Pavel Landovský. In 1975, Václav Havel worked as a labourer in the brewery in Trutnov; he could do nothing else. And it was here that he made perhaps his most successful one-act play, Audience, about the writer Ferdinand Vanek, who is invited by his superior to offer him a deal - a promotion to warehouse keeper, but in return has to inform on himself for StB reports.
A cheerful fairy tale about a prince whose parents wanted to cure him with a magic potion. The king and queen are very unhappy with their son's irresponsibility, as they would like to marry him off and hand over the reigns of power to him. They therefore invite the witch Valentina to the castle to prepare a magic potion of responsibility for Prince Hector. However, the potion is too strong, and so everything begins to unfold a little differently than the royal parents had imagined.
Princezná s jedným krídlom a jednou plutvou
Chantal is at the beginning of her career as an influencer when she steps through a mirror and finds herself in a fairy tale. She identifies as Sleeping Beauty. Her best friend Zeynep follows her through the mirror. Chantal’s goal, naturally, is to find a man, definitely a prince. Perhaps she will marry Prince Bosco. She already has a wedding gown, but he seems more interested in men. Her friend, Aladdin (Mido Kotaini), has a magic lamp; he rubs it, and people appear. She works to finish making a flying carpet. There is a wicked witch, Sansara, who sometimes looks old but often young. Her friend Zeynep ends up in a grave but reappears. An elderly rather fat fairy pops up occasionally. Chantal must fight a dragon.
An original TV comedy with songs about a bumbling boy named Polepetek, who is sent out into the world by his father in the hope that he will finally learn to behave, understand and speak like others. This does not happen, but Polepetek manages to get the stolen royal crown for himself from a terrible robber and the heart of the king's daughter, Princess Pletana. Polepetek, who eventually drives the princess away.
Cole Porter's version of the story of Aladdin--his only musical written especially for television.