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Are you a film addict as well as a theatre addict? I sure am and am always on the lookout for interesting documentaries about shows and theatre. Here is a small collection for you. The 10 best documentary feature films about theatre. Needless to say, this is highly subjective. These films are not on any official list, but rather my personal Top 10.
The documentaries are ordered from oldest to most recent. There are more recent theatre documentaries as well of course. And countless others over the decades… which are waiting to be discovered by you, too.
A unique, behind-the-scenes look at Shakespeare’s great play. In 1988, rising star Kenneth Branagh played the Prince of Denmark for the first time. His guide through four weeks of rehearsals at England’s Birmingham Repertory Theatre: famed actor Derek Jacobi, “the best Hamlet of his generation” (New York Times). Watch what happens from the first dress rehearsal to the tension-filled opening night. Narrated by Patrick Stewart.
Winner of the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, this film is a hilarious and affectionate look at the path to stardom inside the competitive world of opera.
Twenty male inmates in a Kentucky prison form an unlikely Shakespearean acting troupe. This documentary follows them through their rehearsal process.
From director, Katharina Otto-Bernstein, a provocative and moving documentary on the life and work of Robert Wilson. One of the most visionary and controversial theatre artists of our time. The film delivers a surprisingly candid look at Robert Wilson, who drops his characteristic reticence and speaks with unprecedented openness about his personal life.
Follows the four high-profile productions that would eventually become Tony nominees for Best Musical of 2004: Wicked, (currently the highest grossing musical of all time), the Rosie O’Donnell/Boy George musical brought from London, Taboo, Tony Kushner’s Caroline, or Change, and a grown-up puppet show called Avenue Q. Digging behind the scenes, from casting and out-of-town previews to the suspense-filled Tony Awards, ShowBusiness provides an engrossing look at the inner workings of Broadway musicals. Listening in to critics around the dinner table, interviews with the creators, footage of rehearsals and openings all combine to make this one of the most entertaining documentaries (and dramas) about the world of musical theatre.
Tells the heart-warming story of four troupes and their journey to the largest high school theatre competition in the world.
Follows the coming together of director Robert Wilson, performance artist Marina Abramovic, singer and composer Antony Hegarty and performer Willem Dafoe, to create the experimental opera based on Marina Abramovic’s biography. Through rehearsal footage and interviews with the artists as they are making the piece, we get an insight into this unique collaboration. An intimate portrait that reveals the dynamics, excitement and insecurities of making such a poetic and visually stunning theatre work.
Reveals the under-appreciated, highly demanding world of Broadway Understudies and Standbys. Three undiscovered performers at various points in their careers get the chance of a lifetime. Their struggle is put into perspective through never-before-heard stories from celebrities who themselves were once Understudies or Standbys.
Tells the story behind the final Hal Prince-Sondheim collaboration, Merrily We Roll Along. Directed by original cast member and noted director Lonny Price, the film combines new interviews with the cast and creative team with newly discovered footage of the casting and rehearsal process. Few shows have had such a dramatic history as Merrily, which was one of the most anticipated shows of the 1980s and ended up only playing 16 performances. All of the triumphs and pain that Broadway can bring are shared with the audience like never before.
Uncovers rare rehearsal footage from the original 1964 Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof. The film contains interviews with legends about the show’s impact on musical theatre and the world itself.
All of these movies can be found online through one or several of the most popular streaming services. Enjoy!
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Liam Klenk was born in Central Europe and has since lived on four continents. Liam has always been engaged in creative pursuits, ranging from photography and graphic design, to writing short stories and poetry, to working in theatre and shows. In 2016, Liam published his first book and memoir, 'Paralian'.
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