There’s no need to travel to the Big Smoke to see what’s on at the National Theatre, instead you can feel as though you’re at the renowned theatre in London thanks to the luxury cinema chain’s live screenings at its regional premises.
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.
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.
The second production, All’s Well That Ends Well, was shown at approximately 300 screens.
Today, the number of venues that show NT Live productions has grown to approximately 700 with 11 million people watching them across the globe. Many of the cinemas also offer repeat screenings of popular productions which are termed as ‘Encores’.
Whether you’re watching Kit Harington go to battle in Henry V, or Phoebe Waller-Bridge delivering her solo tour de force in Fleabag, you’ll be at the heart of the action without the big trip down to London.
Did you know?
Most venues screen the productions live as they are broadcast, but due to time differences in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States venues in those countries, they show the recorded production some days later.
The actors on stage deliver their performances as they normally would any other night. But to make sure audiences watching in the cinemas have the best seat in the house, it tailors the position of its cameras to capture each production and works closely with technical teams to make sure every element on stage such as lighting, hair and make-up look as good on the big screen so it’s the next best thing to being there.
What National Theatre productions are on this month and next at Everyman Harrogate?
Harrogate’s Everyman is showing Nye, which details the story of Aneurin ‘Nye’ Bevan, the Welshman who has often been referred to as the politician with greatest influence on our country without ever being Prime Minister.
This is all thanks to his tireless campaign for the nationalisation of hospitals that eventually became the birth of the National Health Service in 1948.
Roger Evans (Archie Lush), Michael Sheen (Nye Bevan) and Sharon Small (Jennie Lee). Photography credit: Johan Persson
Written by Tim Price and directed by Rufus Norris, fellow Welshman Michael Sheen plays the title role which delves Bevan into his deepest memories and a mind-bending journey back through his life; from childhood to mining underground, Parliament, and fights with Churchill.
It’s a must-see minus the travel.
Tickets from £19.50, it runs for two hours 40 minutes at 6.45pm on April 23, and 1pm on May 8. Everyman Harrogate, Westgate House, Station Parade, Harrogate, HG1 1HQ.
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