Morning:
14°c
Some fares could fall by more than a third when Oyster is extended to every national rail station in London, it has emerged
More...
New Moon is nothing if not an international advertisement for the hungry virtues of virginity and young people can’t get enough of it
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Theatre
A smart, prickly and rewarding view of sexual and emotional confusion
Cock
Restaurants
Kitchen W8 is a bargain for this area, if such sophistication is what you crave
Kitchen W8
Too long and drawn out but very entertaining with excellent special effects
This is a peculiar play and does not work for me. Some of it is very funny but there are real flaws
Alex has a strong powerful voice and was faultless, she is far better now than she was on the X-Factor
London,
Evening Standard rating
Reader rating
Dir: Max Roberts.
Cast: Christopher Connel, Michael Hodgson, Ian Kelly, Brian Lonsdale, Lisa McGrillis, Deka Walmsley, David Whitaker, Phillippa Wilson
Description: Lee Hall's play exploring class and politics, set amongst a group of Ashington miners in an art appreciation evening class in the mid-1930s. Inspired by the book of the same name by William Feaver.
Times: Dec 2-5, 15-17, 30, Jan 1 & 2, 4, 15 & 16, 18, 7.30pm, Dec 3, 5, 16, 31, Jan 2, 16, 2.15pm, Dec 6, Jan 3, 17, 3pm
Price: £10-£42.50
Trains: Tube/BR: Waterloo 
Phone: 0207452 3000
Website: www.nationaltheatre.org.uk
Art imitating art: Ian Kelly playing artist Robert Lyon in The Pitmen Painters
Seeing the show and buying the poster is commonplace. Watching the play and buying the drawing is a new departure.
But that is what is happening at the National Theatre where actor Ian Kelly produces a full-scale charcoal sketch on stage every night during the play, The Pitmen Painters.
The works are being put on sale in response to demand from audience members. The play by Billy Elliot writer Lee Hall tells the real-life story of a group of miners near Newcastle in the Thirties, who formed an art appreciation class and learned to paint.
Over 15 years, they produced hundreds of paintings of their everyday lives and became famous through exhibitions of their work.
Kelly, 42, plays Robert Lyon, who draws his friend, Oliver Kilbourn, played by Chris Connel.
Each night one of the portraits goes on sale, with a proportion of the proceeds going to the Woodhorn Colliery Museum in Ashington, which houses the permanent collection of the miners' work.
“It seemed the right thing to do,” Kelly said. “If enough money is raised, an art scholarship will be established, too.
“During the first run of the play [last year] I got a bit embarrassed when people would ask at the bar afterwards and I would end up selling and asking for some beer money for the cast.”
Mr Lyon's grandchildren, who are also artists, gave their blessing to the fund-raising idea when the play returned to the National this month.
Kelly said the standard of his works has improved with time but it is still nerve-racking.
“It's utterly, utterly terrifying, particularly as the original from 1941 gets projected 20 feet behind me in the closing moments of the scene.
“The tricky thing is to make it look like something that could be the original,” he said. “But it's a play about art and it seemed absolutely right and pertinent to create something live on stage. I'm very comfortable with it now.”
Hall, who won an Evening Standard Theatre Award for the play, wrote the live drawing scenes into the work because he knew Kelly could draw. Both worked on plays together when at Cambridge University. Some of the real paintings produced by the Ashington Group are currently on show at the National.
And if painting on stage every night was not enough, Kelly has also just published a biography of Casanova. He is giving a talk on the book at the theatre on Wednesday.
The Pitmen Painters previews tonight and tomorrow and runs until 14 April (www.nationaltheatre.org).
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
