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National Theatre Revival of The Story Wins Acting Praise but Divides Critics on Update

The production reroutes a 2003 newsroom drama into a large-scale Olivier staging that raises questions about race, truth and theatrical pace.

Overview

  • The National Theatre opened Clint Dyer’s revival of Tracey Scott Wilson’s The Story in early September 2026, and the production runs at the Olivier Theatre until 24 October 2026.
  • The play follows a newsroom grappling with a racially charged murder and the pressure to shape a story, a premise critics say probes journalistic ethics and intra-community tensions without offering easy answers.
  • Reviewers singled out Letitia Wright and Lorraine Toussaint for powerful lead performances that anchor the production and carry much of its emotional weight.
  • Critics praised the stark basketball-court design and layered staging but said the action feels stretched on the Olivier stage, with uneven pacing and an ending some found unsatisfying.
  • Several reviews noted a central plot twist that critics say is drawn from real cases, and they flagged the revival’s limited update (to around 2011) for omitting modern social-media dynamics that shape today’s news cycle.