National Theatre Live – Now Streaming In Your (Locked-Down) Home…
A few months ago, long before any of the current madness descended, we enjoyed an amazing evening at our local independent cinema (The Odyssey). Not to watch a movie, but to virtually visit the theatre and to watch the amazing James Corden in ‘One Man, Two Guvnors’.
It was riotous night of fun, and it is coming to your home this week…
National Theatre Live
Launched in 2009, National Theatre Live opened with a broadcast of the National Theatre production of ‘Phèdre’ with Helen Mirren, shown at around 250 movie theatres world-wide.
Each theatre production is filmed in front of a live theatre audience and broadcast via satellite to cinemas across around the world.
Live footage is then packaged and shared, unedited, with cinemas for repeat encore screenings. There is little or no difference between what you see in the live broadcast and a repeat encore screening.
Over the subsequent decade, over 80 broadcasts have been watched by nearly nine million people around the world.
Now Streaming In Your Home
With the social distancing lock-down in place, you can’t visit the National Theatre, nor can you watch one of their productions in the cinema, but, thanks to National Theatre At Home, starting this week, you can watch a production in the comfort of your own armchair.
The first production? National Theatre At Home opens on Thursday (2nd April) with ‘One Man, Two Guvnors’!
With a Tony Award winning performance by James Corden this is one for the whole family to get together and enjoy.
You can watch it on YouTube for seven days from 19:00 BST, 2nd April.
Support Your Local Cinema and Theatre
Theatres and cinemas across the world are closed. While the major multiplexes may weather the storm, the smaller independents must be at risk. When the shackles are lifted and life returns to (a new) normal, please do support them.
We will all miss them awfully if they are gone.
Until then, enjoy the magic of theatre, in your home.
Adam and the Art of the Movies team.
