National Theatre Live is an initiative operated by the Royal National Theatre in London. It broadcasts live, by satellite, performances of their productions (and those of other theatres) to cinemas and arts centres around the world.
National Theatre Live is an initiative operated by the Royal National Theatre in London. It broadcasts live, by satellite, performances of their productions (and those of other theatres) to cinemas and arts centres around the world.
I grew up in Manchester in the 60s. If I had been able to see Olivier's National Theatre at my local cinema, I would have gone all of the time.
- — Nicholas Hytner, director of the Royal National Theatre. [1]
The programme began its pilot season in June 2009 with a production of Phèdre , starring Helen Mirren, which screened live in 70 cinemas across the UK. Two hundred more venues eventually showed the production internationally, resulting in a combined audience of around 50,000 people for this one performance. [2] The second production, All's Well That Ends Well , showed at a total of around 300 screens, [3] and today, the number of venues that show NT Live productions has grown to around 700. [4]
With the exception of a Saturday matinee for Nation, a Monday evening showing for London Assurance , and a Tuesday evening showing for A Streetcar Named Desire , all National Theatre Live productions have been broadcast on a Thursday evening, to avoid conflicting with cinemas' weekend schedules. Most venues screen the productions live as they are broadcast, but because of the time differences in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States venues in those countries show the recorded production some days later. Many venues also offer repeat screenings of popular productions which they term 'Encores'.
Most productions broadcast are plays performed in repertory at the Royal National Theatre, but works by other companies have been included. A Disappearing Number by Complicite was broadcast live from the Theatre Royal, Plymouth on 14 October 2010. The Donmar Warehouse's production of King Lear , starring Derek Jacobi was broadcast live on 3 February 2011. In the summer of 2013, a broadcast of Macbeth starring Kenneth Branagh and Alex Kingston was broadcast live from the Manchester International Festival. Following this, A Streetcar Named Desire starring Gillian Anderson was broadcast live from the Young Vic on 16 September 2014.
Over the years from 2015 to 2019, National Theatre Live released a wide range of plays in cinemas including ones from the National Theatre and others from the West End such as Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? with Imelda Staunton and All About Eve with Lily James and Gillian Anderson. It also broadcast both parts of Tony Kushner's Angels in America on week apart. Other notable productions include Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag and Cyrano de Bergerac with James McAvoy (the last the screen in cinemas before the COVID-19 pandemic).
The programme returned to screens in 2022 with Leopoldstadt, which had its cinema run cancelled due to the closure of theatres and arts venues. Following this, plays released included the one-woman Prima Facie with Jodie Comer and GOOD with David Tennant.
In April 2024, National Theatre Live released its 100th play in cinemas, Nye featuring Michael Sheen, broadcast live from the National Theatre. [5]
Live performances are broadcast live from the National Theatre (unless noted). They are certified differently from feature films.
