National Theatre Live's THE MAGISTRATE, Starring John Lithgow, Opens 1/17 in Theaters

Academy Award nominee and Tony Award winner John Lithgow takes the title role in The Magistrate, an uproarious Victorian farce directed by Olivier Award winner Timothy Sheader, also featuring Olivier Award winner Nancy Carroll. In a similar vein to The National Theatre's classic comedies She Stoops to Conquer and London Assurance, The Magistrate is sure to have audiences around the world doubled up with laughter.

With his louche air and developed taste for smoking, gambling, port and women, it's hard to believe Cis Farringdon (Joshua McGuire) is only fourteen. And that's because he isn't. Agatha his mother (Nancy Carroll) lopped five years from her true age and his when she married the amiable police magistrate Posket (John Lithgow).

The imminent arrival of Cis' godfather sends Agatha incognito to the Hotel des Princes to warn him of her deception. But it's also where her son has cajoled his otherwise staid stepfather into joining him for a binge. High-spirited carousing leads to a police raid and a night of outrageous mishap as the trapped guests make desperate attempts to conceal themselves from the law and from each other. Indignities escalate at court the next day where Posket must preside.

In the New York City area, screenings continue at NYU's Skirball Center, Symphony Space, Cinemas 1 2 3, Kew Gardens Cinema, The John Drew Theater (East Hampton), Fairfield University (CT), and more. National Theatre Live can be seen at cinemas screens throughout North America.

National Theatre Live is an initiative by the UK's National Theatre to broadcast live performances onto cinema screens around the world. Since its first season, which began in June 2009 with the acclaimed production of Phédre starring Helen Mirren, over one million people have now experienced the National's work on movie screens worldwide. This past record-breaking season, which included the program's most-seen title to date One Man, Two Guvnors, has contributed significantly to the National's recently reported growth in global audiences.

Ticket prices vary by venue. The average ticket price is $20. Contact local venues for ticket information.