The National Theatre, London announces National Theatre At Home, a programme of National Theatre Live Productions streamed for free via Youtube every Thursday.
A selection of much-loved National Theatre Live productions to be made available to watch on YouTube for free over the next two months.
During this unprecedented time which has seen the closure of theatres, cinemas and performing arts venues around the world, the National Theatre in London has announced a new initiative, National Theatre at Home, providing access to content online to serve global audiences in their homes. Viewers around the world can stream a range of National Theatre Live productions for free via YouTube from Thursday 2 April.
A number of productions previously only screened in cinemas globally as a part of National Theatre Live will be now made available to watch via the National Theatre’s YouTube channel. The first production to be broadcast as part of National Theatre at Home will be Richard Bean’s smash-hit comedy One Man, Two Guvnors featuring a Tony Award-winning performance from James Corden. Each production will be free and screened live every Thursday at 21:00 CAT (19:00 GMT) and will then be available on demand for seven days.
National Theatre Live was launched in 2009 to bring the best of British theatre to the big screen and broadcasts in 2500 venues across 65 countries, including in South Africa at The Fugard Bioscope in Cape Town and at Ster-Kinekor’s Cinema Nouveau screens nationwide, plus Gateway Commercial in Kwa-Zulu Natal.
Working closely with YouTube, other productions streamed as part of National Theatre at Home will include Sally Cookson’s stage adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre on 9 April, Bryony Lavery’s adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island on 16 April, and Twelfth Night on 23 April featuring Tamsin Greig as Malvolia in Shakespeare’s classic comedy, with further titles to be announced.
Alongside the streamed productions, National Theatre at Home will also feature accompanying interactive content such as Q&As with cast and creative teams and post-stream talks, with further details of this programme to be announced.
Lisa Burger, Executive Director and Joint Chief Executive of the National Theatre said: “Our ambition at the National Theatre is to create work which is challenging, entertaining and inspiring and we’re committed to continuing that through these difficult times. I’m thrilled that we’re able to fulfil this ambition in a different way through our collaboration with YouTube. I am exceptionally proud of the team at the National Theatre for working so hard to create National Theatre at Home and also to the rights holders who have been so supportive of this new initiative allowing us to bring theatre to households right across the world. We have delved into the National Theatre Live archive and curated a programme that’s varied from comedy to new dramas to classics so there is something for everyone to enjoy from their own homes. We will be streaming each production at the same time each week in order to recreate, where possible, the communal viewing experience and we hope this will be an opportunity for people to share their enjoyment together online.”
Christina Matteotti, Head of Music and Culture Partnerships, EMEA at Google said: “During this incredibly difficult time, we are so glad that institutions like the National Theatre are using the platform to share treasured cultural content with the UK and global communities who are facing self-isolation. Bringing the comedic delight of One Man, Two Guvnors, the magic of shows like Twelfth Night, the mystery of Jane Eyre and the adventure of Treasure Island to YouTube will be a ray of light during a very difficult time. Technology can bring the cultural and creative world inside your home. We look forward to seeing how National Theatre at Home on YouTube delights the community and provides a chance to continue to learn.”
The National Theatre is currently closed to audiences and performances won’t resume before July. In coming weeks, there will be more opportunities for audiences to engage with the NT through its National Theatre at Home programme – further details to be announced.
For more information on National Theatre at Home click here.
