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The real reasons everyone is watching theatre on the big screen

One of them will make you a convert 🎭 🎦

Have you noticed how many people are going to watch theatre on the big screen these days? Sometimes a million people will see a single play on a cinema screen. And a million people can’t be wrong! So let’s find out why they’re right...

WHAT???S THE BIG DEAL?

When tickets went on sale for Benedict Cumberbatch???s Hamlet at the National Theatre, it sold out in minutes - but 900,000 people have seen it through NT Live. So if you???ve got your eye on the next big event, this is your secret way in.
NT Live article

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Just like films, live broadcasts have directors who plan each shot for the biggest emotional punch. From stage-wide shots to intimate closeups, you see all the drama not just from the best seat in the house - but from ALL the best seats. In high definition, too.

WHAT???S IT ACTUALLY LIKE?

The magic of theatre is the buzz between the actors and the crowd. You can feel it in the cinema, because you???re seeing what the people in the theatre are seeing - along with thousands more round the world. It???s a unique feeling.

Plus before curtain up, you can catch short documentaries and chats with directors for an insider???s view that???s exclusive to the big screen.
NT Live article

WHAT’S COMING UP?

Here are some of our highlights:

NT Live: Fleabag (12 September)

Who’s in it? Fleabag! AKA Phoebe Waller Bridge.
What is it? The one-woman show that inspired the phenomenal TV series. It’s filthy, raw and completely unfiltered.
Why should I see it on the big screen? Theatre tickets went on sale in May and sold out in minutes. Sure, you could try your luck at the digital lottery - or if you’ve got the stamina for it, you can aim for a standing ticket. Or you could just book an extremely comfortable seat with us right now.

Fleabag may seem emotionally unfiltered and self-obsessed, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. blank

NT Live: Fleabag

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Fleabag Fleabag

NT Live: One Man, Two Guvnors (encore) (26 September)

Who’s in it? James Corden, who only went and won a Tony award for his performance.
What is it? A classic caper in which an eternally hungry Francis (Corden) must keep his two bosses apart from each other lest they make some rather unfortunate discoveries about each other...
Why should I see it on the big screen? It was an absolute smash hit on both Broadway and the West End stage when this was recorded in 2011. NT Live is digging its recording out of the vault for a one-off showing so this is quite literally your only chance to see it. Plus - and we don’t say this lightly - it is absolutely hilarious.

Featuring a Tony Award-winning performance from James Corden, the hilarious hit returns to mark NT Live's 10th birthday. blank

NT Live: One Man, Two Guvnors

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One Man Two Guvnors One Man Two Guvnors

NT Live: A Midsummer Night's Dream (17 October)

Who’s in it? Gwendoline Christie (Brienne from Game of Thrones) plays fairy Queen Titania.
What is it? Only Shakespeare’s most famous rom com. Expect magic, love triangles and people growing donkey heads.
Why should I see it on the big screen? This is being captured live at the Bridge Theatre, an immersive venue that’s been transformed into an enchanted forest for the production - so you can expect the camerawork to be equally spectacular.

A feuding fairy King and Queen of the forest cross paths with four runaway lovers and a troupe of actors trying to rehearse a play. blank

NT Live: A Midsummer Night's Dream

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A Midsummer Night's Dream A Midsummer Night's Dream

NT Live: Present Laughter, live from the Old Vic (28 November)

Who’s in it? Andrew Scott (Moriarty in the BBC’s Sherlock Holmes, the ‘fanciable priest’ in Fleabag) as the central character.
What is it? Noel Coward’s 1939 farce about a self-obsessed actor getting tangled up with women and men on the eve of a big tour. Coward based it on himself.
Why should I see it on the big screen? Like Blithe Spirit or Private Lives, Present Laughter is Coward at his biting best and the perfect showcase for Andrew Scott’s comedy licks.
Matthew Warchus directs Andrew Scott in Noël Coward???s provocative comedy Present Laughter. blank

NT Live: Present Laughter

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Present Laughter Present Laughter
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL LIST OF WHAT’S ON.