Love a bit of theatre with a front-row view? Yeah, us too. That’s why we’re celebrating World Theatre Day in the only way we know how: by bringing a whole bunch of sensational stage productions to the big screen. From the hottest West End shows and Shakespeare adaptations to teeth-rattling operas and beautiful ballets, here’s all the theatre coming your way.
Heathers: The Musical – At Vue 28 March
What’s this, then?Remember the film with Winona Ryder and Christian Slater in 1989? Well, as the title helpfully suggests, this is the musical version! It follows the American high schooler Veronica Sawyer, whose dreams of popularity finally start coming true when she’s taken under the wing of three beautiful, yet impossibly cruel, ‘Heathers’. We’re so glad we don’t go to school anymore…
Why you’ll love it on the big screen:
With larger than life characters, the boldest colours and the most outrageous costumes, you’ll wonder how this could be watched any other way.
NT Live: The Life of Pi – At Vue from 30 March
What’s this then?
Get ready for some seriously magical puppetry. 16-year-old Pi finds himself stranded on a lifeboat with a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan and a Royal Bengal tiger. Yes, they all fit… somehow. This Olivier Award-winning stage adaptation of the 2012 film has enough trickery and spectacle to keep your jaw firmly planted in your lap.
Why you’ll love it on the big screen:
How else are you going to get close enough to the animals/puppets to see how they work?
Hamlet: Bristol Old Vic Live – At Vue 6 April
What’s this then?
Ever seen Hamlet… in leather? Well you’re about to. This spankin’ new take on Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy stars Billy Howle (The Serpent, MotherFatherSon, On Chesil Beach) in the titular role. We’re not sure who plays Yorick (... the skull).
Why you’ll love it on the big screen:
For a performance like this, you really want to see those micro-expressions up close. It really is something else.
NT Live: Good – At Vue from 20 April
What’s this then?David Tennant seems like a good guy, right? Well, war really can change a man. In this powerful political play, he stars as a German professor on the verge of radicalisation. Don’t do it, David!
Why you’ll love it on the big screen:
Acting like this needs to be seen up close. We’re talking serious drama here... And who doesn’t want to see David’s face on a big screen? It’s such a good face.
NT Live: Best of Enemies – At Vue from 18 May
What’s this then?
It’s 1968 and Richard Nixon and Hubert Humphrey are battling it out to become the next president of the United States. But David Harewood (Homeland) and Zachary Quinto (Star Trek) are having a far more interesting debate on the other channel. They play political commentators William F. Buckley Jr. and Gore Vidal this multi award-winning drama.
Why you’ll love it on the big screen:
With tensions high and the outbursts coming thick and fast, you’ll want to make sure you’re always in the moment. This is about as explosive a show gets… without actual explosions.
The Royal Opera House: The Marriage of Figaro – At Vue from 27 April
What’s this then?
Mozart’s comic opera has more twists than a page boy’s stockings. Servants Figaro and Susanna just want their wedding day to go smoothly, but there’s not much chance of that happening! I mean, have they never seen an opera before?
Why you’ll love it on the big screen:
With belting voices and eye-popping costumes, this one’s an absolute feast for both the ears and eyes. Oh, and did we mention it’s four hours long? So, yeah, you’ll definitely be needing that comfy seat.
The Royal Ballet: Cinderella – At Vue from 12 April
What’s this then?Cinderella and ballet fit together like… well, an appropriately-sized foot in a glass slipper. After a decade away from the stage, Frederick Ashton’s reworking of this classic tale has finally returned.
Why you’ll love it on the big screen:
There’s a real film-like atmosphere to this one. And let’s face it, who doesn’t want to get lost in a world of fairy godmothers and pumpkin carriages?
