The story of the Lehman Brothers collapse is about to hit the London stage in a 220-minute play
- A new theatre production depicting the collapse of Lehman brothers at the start of the 2008 financial crisis is opening at The National Theatre in London.
- Ten years on from the crisis, the Lehman Trilogy directed by Sam Mendes, takes audiences on a journey from the foundation of Lehman Brothers to its infamous collapse.
- "It asks very good questions about when did capitalism become, in the eyes of many, a bad idea?" Actor Ben Miles, told the Financial Times.
Ten years on from the 2008 financial crisis, the dramatic collapse of Lehman Brothers is hitting the stage in London under the direction of Golden Globe winner, Sam Mendes.
The Lehman Brothers Trilogy will run from the July 4 to October 20 at the National Theatre on the Thames South Bank, and its cast of three will take audiences from the founding of Lehman Brothers to its infamous collapse at the start of the 2008 crisis.
"Really it's about how American finance, how the American capitalist mindset, was created," deputy artistic director Ben Power, told the Financial Times.
Through actors Adam Godley, Simon Russell Beale and Ben Miles, who play all of the characters with minimal costume changes, the play focuses on the human relationships and motivations behind the crisis, rather than complex financial models.
Following films about the crisis like the Big Short and Margin Call, the adaptation brings the events of 2008 to audiences.
"It asks very good questions about when did capitalism become, in the eyes of many, a bad idea? When did it turn from a very valid pursuit into something slightly tainted? When did this small family business that grew and grew begin to transform itself into something that none of the original founders had envisaged? And why did it do that?" one of the actors, Ben Miles, told the Financial Times.
Ticket cost £20 and are released every Friday at 1pm on the National Theatre website after each week's performance.