I watched JLM tonight having seen the stage version with BC when it was at the National, I have to say that IMO JLM won the creature off hands down. I thought he was wonderful, heartbreaking in both his innocence and cruelty. There was a lot of the production that I had forgotten so it was wonderful to see it again.
I think one of the problems with the NT, especially when they do the huge Olivier stage productions is that your eyes are drawn everywhere as you try to take it all in and it is all too easy to get distracted from the main events. I absolutely love their huge productions, I love the clever sets, the music, effects and costumes, they are exciting ,emotional ,adventurous, imaginative , thrilling and magical, everything that a live performance should be, but my brain can't cope with it all at the same time ! These NT at home are a wonderful way to relive what I have enjoyed at the theatre, but in a way that helps me to focus on the text and the acting.