For theatre... online, non-professional, amateur
YOUR NEWS – PROMS MAGIC for Cheshire Charity

YOUR NEWS – PROMS MAGIC for Cheshire Charity

By BILL ELMS

Top tenor Russell Watson helped launch the 2021 Hale Barns Carnival when he headlined an evening of Proms favourites.
The Salford-born superstar singer took centre stage in the middle of July to kick off the annual weekend festival which returned bigger and better than ever after being postponed in 2020.
Due to the weekend falling into the Government’s 4-week delay to restrictions being lifted, the carnival went ahead as planned but with a 50% capacity only and all appropriate Covd-safe restrictions in place.
The man dubbed ‘The Voice’ had said he couldn’t wait to return to live performing and entertain Hale Barns audiences – while raising vital funds for charity at the same time.
This year’s carnival took place across the weekend of Friday, 16 to Sunday, 18 July 2021 – with demand for tickets meaning the live music was extended to three evenings for the first time in the carnival’s history.
Alongside Watson, other headline acts included disco legends Boney M – featuring Maizie Williams, Katrina and the Waves and 5 Star featuring Denise Pearson.
But it was the very special Proms with Russell Watson that officially opened Hale Barns Carnival 2021.
The 54-year-old former bolt cutter, who started singing in working men’s clubs in his spare time, is the UK’s best-selling classical artist.
2021 marks the 21st anniversary of his debut solo album The Voice reaching no.1 – a position it held for a world record fifty-two weeks, catapulting the singer to international stardom.
With his band he sang a specially curated set full of Proms classics, including stirring anthems like Jerusalem and Rule Britannia, as well as Puccini’s aria Nessun Dorma.
The Friday night concert supported The Seashell Trust, with all profits from the evening being donated to the Cheshire charity which helps young people with complex needs and communication challenges.
Watson said prior to performing: “When I get onstage at Hale Barns it will be my first live concert for eighteen months. It’s going to be an emotional experience, both for me and for the musicians performing with me.
“I used to live not far away, in Plane Tree Road in Hale, so it’s a really nice place to start performing again. And The Seashell Trust is a fantastic local charity which does important work with young people in the area. Charities have been hit hard in the last year, so I’m also really pleased that money raised on the evening will be going towards it being able to continue providing those vital services.
“Last year was meant to be my 20th anniversary tour, but everything was postponed because of the pandemic. After Hale Barns Carnival I’ll be performing a small number of other outdoor Proms concerts, and then my rescheduled tour will start in the autumn – now marking my 21st anniversary!
“When lockdown started last spring, I gave my voice a complete rest for five or six months, and as a result it’s soaring and feeling really fluid.
“Now I can’t wait to get back on stage and entertain people again. I’ll be performing Proms favourites along with a selection of the repertoire that I’ve recorded over the last 20 years.”
The live concerts were once again complemented by a two-day free Hale Barns Carnival family event on Saturday, 17 and Sunday, 18 July.
The carnival weekend was staged with Covid-safe measures in place, including space and hand sanitizer stations, to ensure a relaxed and safe event for all the family.
Organiser Max Eden from Hale Barns Events said: “Russell was due to perform at the 2020 Carnival which had to be postponed because of the Coronavirus pandemic, so I’m absolutely delighted he’s able to join us this summer instead.”

www.halebarnscarnival.co.uk
Facebook: @HaleBarnsCarnival
Twitter:​ @HaleBarnsEvents

YOUR NEWS – Registration High for lighting & sound exhibition as industry gains confidence

YOUR NEWS – Registration High for lighting & sound exhibition as industry gains confidence

By PAUL JOHNSON

PLASA Show 2021 is on track to welcome thousands of industry professionals to Olympia London, from 5-7 September, with the first weeks of registration exceeding that of the 2019 which, at the time, was lauded as “the busiest show in years”.

With restrictions officially lifted the 53% increase in registrations also seeing a greater number of top-tier professionals and company owners, assuring that PLASA 2021 will be a hub of business and networking.

Following Freedom Day on 19 July, visitor registration has contined to surge. The move from Government has been broadly welcomed by the live sector, which has been the last waiting to reopen. Now that live events and gatherings have been given the green light, industry professionals are ready to get back to business and are wasting no time in registering for PLASA Show 2021.

PLASA Show returns to London to explore the cutting edge of pro audio, AV, stage lighting, rigging and staging. Plus, for one year only, the ABTT Theatre Show Hub is co-locating to Olympia, bringing two popular industry trade shows under one roof for one unmissable event.

Over 200 eminent brands can be found on the buzzing show floor showcasing their latest releases. Furthermore, the unrivalled seminar programme presents the works of thought-leaders and taste makers delving into the most prominent industry issues.

Running throughout the show, visitors can take advantage of hands-on training workshops and immersive demonstrations. Also not to be missed is the Innovation Gallery which showcases the Innovation Award nominees and winners.

As part of Olympia’s five-year development plan, PLASA Show will move to its biggest hall – the Grand. This means that there will be even more to explore, including many more awe-inspiring stands and features across the extended show floor.

The visitor demographic at PLASA Show this year is looking strong with 45% being final decision makers, a 5% increase from 2019. In addition a further 20% have the power to specify purchases, which is yet another increase. Although the industry’s economy has been severely impacted, there are still plenty of sizeable budgets, with one in four able to spend between £100,000 and £2,000,000.

The Olympia’s Grand Hall will feature directors, chairs and company owners, followed by designers, technicians, engineers, project mangers and consultants. Furthermore, visitors continue to represent the full spectrum of the sector with the majority hailing from theatre, concert touring and live events.

So if your society is considering that all-important updrade to either its sound or lighting (or both!) then why not pop along in September?

Regitration is free and can be completed online simply. Just visit: www.plasashow.com

YOUR NEWS – Groundlings Are Back!

YOUR NEWS – Groundlings Are Back!

Main photo: John Wildgoose


By Paul Johnson

The much-loved £5 ‘Groundling’ standing tickets are back at Shakespeare’s Globe coinciding with the current production of Twelfth Night which is now running until 30 October 2021.

As a result of the easing of restrictions not permitting standing theatre tickets, the open-air Globe theatre has announced that 200 standing tickets are available for each performance. This number will allow for those who choose to socially distance in the Yard. The number of standing tickets available will incrementally increase throughout the summer until the end of August when 400 Groundling tickets will be available for each performance.

Seating capacity will also increase throughout the summer with spaces between groups sat on the same row remaining until mid-August. The open-air theatre has laid out plans to be back to full seated capacity by 23 August. The maximum capacity of the Globe is normally 1,600 and the theatre will return to full Groundling capacity (circa 600-700) at a future date. Since May 2021, The Globe has welcomed over 32,000 audience members into 79 performances in the open-air theatre.

Despite restrictions being lifted, safety remains of key importance to the Globe. As such, social distancing onstage, no intervals and reduced audience capacity will continue to remain in place for the time being. Globe staff will continue to wear a face covering and audiences are encouraged to do the same. Enhanced cleaning, hand-sanitiser stations, contactless ticketing, modified routes and arrival points to avoid overcrowding will also remain.

The piazza and onsite facilities (including the Globe shop) have also reopened before performances. Restrictions on booking party sizes have been lifted and temperature checks and check-in via the NHS app will no longer be mandatory. The Globe will also maintain its ‘Book with Confidence and Exchange with Ease’ pledge, allowing exchanges up to 24 hours ahead of a performance if a ticket holder cannot attend due to Covid-19 related issues.

The Swan at the Globe restaurant now boasts full-seating capacity. Welcoming guests for the bar, dining and events in a socially responsible manner.

Michelle Terry, Artistic Director of Shakespeare’s Globe, told Sardines: “The very thing that theatre thrives on is the one thing that Covid denied us: the live, alchemical relationship between play, actor, audience, space and time. It has been beyond incredible to have opened our doors to live theatre again. The beating heart of that space is the unique and ultra-live relationship between actor and groundling, standing together and ready for action. Well, we’re all ready. And we can’t wait!”

 

Photo: Clive Sherlock

 


Summer Holidays

Shakespeare’s Globe is offering a host of exciting courses and events throughout the summer holidays:

Summer Schools (8-19 years)
Perfect for aspiring actors and academics, Summer Schools in 2021 offer young people an unparalleled opportunity to develop their skills with Globe professionals.
Courses taking place online and onsite in August 2021.
For more information please visit: https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/learn/ courses/summer-schools-2021/

Telling Tales (Family Festival)
Telling Tales is back on stage live with a festival of storytelling for the summer holidays. Until 22 August these storytelling performances will take you on a sensory, interactive adventure giving younger audiences the chance to get into Shakespeare’s stories in the splendid surroundings of the indoor Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.
For more information please visit: https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/ seasons/telling-tales-2021/

Family Guided Tours of the Globe Theatre
Ideal for those with children aged 7-11 years old. The Globe Theatre Guided Tour introduces younger visitors to Shakespeare’s London and to the theatrical world he created.
For more information please visit: https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/whats-on/family-globe-theatre-guided-tour/#photos

 

YOUR NEWS – £5million and counting…

YOUR NEWS – £5million and counting…

Ian McKellen On Stage. Photo: Frederic Aranda


By PAUL JOHNSON

Ian McKellen’s donations to British theatre tops £5 million…
Ian McKellen, Ambassador Theatre Group Productions, and Sean Mathias donate profits from the National Theatre and Amazon Prime Video broadcast of his celebrated one-man show, Ian McKellen on Stage which will create a fund for emerging producers to cover actors’ salaries.
The extraordinary production was filmed by National Theatre Live in front of an audience at the Harold Pinter Theatre in January 2020. It launched exclusively on Prime Video in June, as part of a season of plays with the National Theatre.
Profits from licensing the televised show will combine with remaining profits from the West End run to create a new fund to support emerging producers and artists. Distributed via ATG Productions, multiple funding rounds will offer grants of up to £25,000 to pay actors’ wages for both new plays and revivals across UK Theatres, as long as they employ six actors or more and include a recent graduate from a theatre school.
Ian McKellen devised his solo show to celebrate his 80th Birthday year, earning £3 million for over 80 UK theatres. Through proceeds of its extended run at London’s Harold Pinter Theatre, which went to British theatre charities, further fundraising and the broadcast distribution of the show, the total money raised for the theatre industry is now over £5m.
The actor told us: “Performing Ian McKellen on Stage was a joy. As our theatres re-open, I’m very pleased to be able to support producers and artists who have really struggled over the last year.”
Directed by Sean Mathias, the critically acclaimed Ian McKellen on Stage is a brilliant intimate mixture of anecdote and acting including Tolkien, Shakespeare among others, which the Daily Telegraph positioned as “the Theatre event of the year” (2019). And quite right too!
McKellen received a special Olivier Award in recognition of his fundraising, and was named the #1 most influential person in British theatre as part of ‘The Stage 100’ in 2019.

YOUR NEWS – Circus Back in Town

YOUR NEWS – Circus Back in Town

Circus 1903 at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall. Photo: Dan Tsantilis


By PAUL JOHNSON

The performers at Circus 1903 will entertain thousands of people as they flock to the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall this Christmas to marvel at the wonders of the Golden Age of Circus.
The show will return for its third Christmas season at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall from 16 Dec – 2 Jan. We gave it a 5-star review in 2019.
Ringmaster, David Williamson, said: “I’m so happy that Circus 1903 is returning to Southbank Centre this festive season. There’s no better tonic for tough times than the sights and sounds and magic of the circus. I’m excited to get in front of an audience again and hear the roar of the crowd and see the smiling faces of the children as they thrill to our amazing show.”
Producer Michael Stevens told Sardines: “Circus 1903 has become an important part of the holiday season, for audiences old and young, and so we are delighted to be able to bring it back to Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall this year. After such a long period of not being able to see each other or to go out, this is a wonderful opportunity to get together at Christmas and celebrate while enjoying one of the most extraordinary shows on earth!”
Circus 1903 will feature many of the incredible acts from previous years, including Peanut and Queenie, the most charming elephants on any stage around the world. A range of dizzying new acts will join the troupe this festive season.
www.circus1903.com

YOUR NEWS – Hunger for Performance

YOUR NEWS – Hunger for Performance

By Chloë Abley

In a year like no other, Brighton Fringe invited audiences to escape to the seaside and they flocked: 80,000 tickets were sold for drag, comedy, family, circus, theatre and more.
Both income and ticket sales amount to approximately 46% of the Brighton Fringe 2019 figures. An estimated 170,000 people enjoyed the Brighton Fringe both online and in-person.
The largest arts festival in England, this year Brighton Fringe held 2,501 more performances than in 2019.
Plus in 2021, 630 events (170 digital and 460 in-person) materialised into 7,216 performances for Brighton audiences and those comfy at home.
More venues than ever also joined in across the city with 166 playing host to the most weird, wild and wonderful shows from around the world! The events presented represents approximately 60% of Brighton Fringe 2019 but there was still plenty to choose from with 2,523 in-person and 4,693 digital performances.
Brighton Fringe CEO Julian Caddy comments, “We are hugely grateful to all participants, venues, staff, volunteers, Friends, funders, sponsors and all our other partners for the immense hard work in making Brighton Fringe happen this year. To our audiences, a massive thanks for attending so enthusiastically and also for following the Covid safety guidance. It was such a relief to be back after so long and we can’t wait for 2022. In the meantime, I think we’ve all earned a bit of a break.”
Celebrating the success of the artists who made Brighton Fringe possible, they announced their award-winners in a special July prize-giving. Recipient of the Fringe Review Outstanding Theatre Award was Clean: The Musical while Julie Madly Deeply won the Brighton Gin Cabaret & Variety Award.
Brighton Fringe embraces every art form and artist in its exciting and unusual programme. The open-access arts festival prides itself on welcoming established and emerging artists, supporting those taking their first steps with a variety of bursaries. It offers much-loved returning acts alongside exciting newcomers with comedy, theatre, circus, exhibitions, magic, dance, children’s shows and much, much more.
www.brightonfringe.org

YOUR NEWS – Theatre Book Prize 2021 Winner Announced

YOUR NEWS – Theatre Book Prize 2021 Winner Announced

Study of Black British women’s theatre wins the Society for Theatre Research Theatre Book Prize


By Harriet Reed

The Society for Theatre Research (STR) has awarded Black British Women’s Theatre: Intersectionality, Archives, Aesthetics by Nicola Abram (Palgrave Macmillan) the Society for Theatre Research Theatre Book Prize for 2021.
The book is the first critical study of black British women’s theatre to centre on unpublished playscripts and other archival materials, many of which have not previously been studied in print. Focusing on theatrical form, it traces how selected companies, practitioners and playwrights have creatively responded to racism and sexism, heralding a timely shift towards examining and enjoying the depths of this rich field.
Judge Cleo Sylvestre said: “Black British Women’s Theatre by Nicola Abram was to me, a female black actor, a total revelation. This is an extremely comprehensive study documenting productions previously unpublished and undocumented material from five different companies, drawing on archives and personal collections. Themes of identity, class and inequality and alienation are explored by the companies heralding a new dawn of female representation on the British stage… It is a fine example of the early days of Black women’s theatre that certainly should not be forgotten.”
Winner Nicola Abram said: “Thank you to the judges for your generous and thoughtful comments, and ultimately for choosing to recognise my work in this way. Receiving this year’s Book Prize I think confirms the vital role of archives of every kind, as well as making the vibrant history of Black British women’s theatre all the more visible.”
The prize was judged by journalist Lucy Popescu, actress Cleo Sylvestre and Professor Steve Nicholson on a panel chaired by STR Committee Member Howard Loxton.
The winner was selected from the following shortlist:

Nicola Abram
Black British Women’s Theatre: Intersectionality, Archives, Aesthetics
(Palgrave Macmillan)

 

 

 

Michael Coveney
Questors, Jesters and Renegades: The Story of Britain’s Amateur Theatre
(Methuen Drama)

 

 

 

Matthew Frank
Subscription Theater: Democracy and Drama in Britain and Ireland, 1880-1939
(University of Pennsylvania Press)

 

 

 

Nadine Holdsworth
English Theatre and Social Abjection A Divided Nation
(Palgrave Macmillan)

 

 

 

Rohan McWilliam
London’s West End: Creating the Pleasure District, 1800-1914
(Oxford University Press)

 

 

 

Janice Norwood
Victorian Touring Actresses
(Manchester University Press)

 

 

 

2021 marks the 23rd STR Theatre Book Prize, which was established in 1998 to celebrate the Society’s Golden Jubilee. The aim of the Book Prize is to encourage the writing and publication of books on British-related theatre history and practice.
Recent winners include Year of the Mad King: The King Lear Diaries by Antony Sher; Different Drummer: The Life of Kenneth Macmillan by Jann Parry; Margot Fonteyn by Meredith Daneman; and Balancing Acts by Nick Hytner.
Previous members of the judging panel include actors Penelope Keith and Corin Redgrave, producer Thelma Holt, actress-director Yvonne Brewster and critics Michael Billington and Daisy Bowie-Sell.
The full winner’s presentation is available to watch on YouTube here…

To be eligible, titles must be about British or British-related theatre, be in English, first publications and carry the copyright date 2020.
They may be on any form of theatrical performance and any aspect of production, history, architecture or management, whether presenting theatre of the past, recording contemporary theatre or looking forward to the future. Play texts and studies of drama as literature are excluded.
The Society for Theatre Research was founded in 1948 to serve all those interested in the history and technique of British and British-related theatre: academic and independent scholars, researchers, performers and other theatre workers – and of course theatregoers.
The STR is the oldest society of its type in the English-speaking world, with a membership that is international.

More details of activities promoted by the Society are available on our website at: www.str.org.uk

 

YOUR NEWS – New Writing Wanted

YOUR NEWS – New Writing Wanted

Did you pen a short play during lockdown? Would you like to see it performed?


Streatham Theatre Company’s annual September workshop for new writing – Streatham Shorts – is fast approaching and the amateur society is on the hunt for unpublished sketches, monologues and short plays.
Send your script in and, if accepted, STC will perform and discuss your work at its workshop on 14 Sep.
The process couldn’t be easier. Submissions should be sent to info@streathamtheatre.org.uk titled ‘Streatham Shorts’ by Wednesday, 25 August. Please include your name and contact details.
Unpublished monologues, sketches and short plays are acceptable (10 minutes maximum run-time).
Extracts from longer works are not suitable for this event. Submissions are limited to one per person.
Selected writers will be notified and should ideally be available to introduce and/or present their piece at the workshop which will be held in person (subject to any Covid restrictions).
Entries may also be performed by Streatham Theatre Company actors at the group’s Christmas Streatham’s Got Talent event.
For more information please go to: streathamtheatre.org.uk/event/shorts-2021.

Judges’ decisions are final!

STC was forced to perform its annual Christmas Special online in 2020.

YOUR NEWS – Theatre Green Book

YOUR NEWS – Theatre Green Book

Image: National Theatre

The National Theatre, National Theatre of Scotland and National Theatre Wales have all committed to making their shows to the new Theatre Green Book standard for sustainability.


By Isobel Jaffray

Others including Royal Opera House, Old Vic, Scottish Opera and Roundhouse have endorsed the Theatre Green Book with plans to follow suit as quickly as possible.
Spearheaded by Theatres Trust, Buro Happold and ABTT, and led by theatre architect Paddy Dillon, the Theatre Green Book has brought theatre-makers together with sustainability experts to set common standards for theatre. This cross-industry partnership, uniting all the leading theatre organisations, helps theatre-makers respond together to the climate crisis and define shared standards for the journey to sustainability.
Theatre Green Book initiative pulls together existing guidance and creates a shared standard for environmentally responsible theatre across three volumes:

  • Sustainable Productions
  • Sustainable Buildings
  • Sustainable Operations

The project spearheaded by Theatres Trust, Buro Happold and ABTT and led by theatre architect Paddy Dillon builds upon the work of Julie’s Bicycle, Creative Carbon Scotland, SiPA, Ecostage and others.
Theatre Green Book is supported by a wide range of industry partners who, along with dozens of individual practitioners and theatre organisations, have contributed to its development: UK Theatre, SOLT, ITC, Federation of Scottish Theatre, Creu Cymru, Theatre and Dance NI, Community
Leisure UK, Staging Change, the Society of British Theatre Designers, Scene Change, the Association of Lighting Designers, and Stage Sight.
The Sustainable Productions volume has been prepared through an extensive period of interviews, focus groups and consultation with dozens of theatre-makers, as well as a survey of nearly two hundred practitioners and an extensive literature review of guidance on green theatre.
Lisa Burger, Joint Chief Executive of the National Theatre says, “We have to seize this moment, and the Theatre Green Book is a brilliant resource for the whole sector. The National Theatre is continuing to make its work as sustainable as possible by committing to adopting the baseline principles of the Theatre Green Book for all productions over the next twelve months.”
Gemma Swallow, Technical Director of National Theatre of Scotland, says, “As part of National Theatre of Scotland’s Green Plan we are strongly committed to the Theatre Green Book. This new guidance sets a common standard for a sustainable production process and we will use it for our 2021/2022 season and beyond. We are excited to be able to share our experience with working groups and colleagues going forward.”
Paddy Dillon, Theatre Green Book Co-ordinator, says, The Theatre Green Book is theatre’s shared response to the climate emergency. During lockdown, theatre-makers of all disciplines have brought their expertise and knowledge to the discussion. It’s fantastic to see so many companies seizing this as a moment of real change.”
Jon Morgan, Director of Theatres Trust, says, “Theatres Trust and the other Theatre Green Book project partners are delighted that so many of our larger theatre organisations have shown leadership in the sector’s response to the climate crisis. We know there are also other smaller theatres, producers and freelancers who will be using the Theatre Green Book in their work and we’d urge organisations and individuals working at all scales to get involved.”
www.theatregreenbook.com

YOUR NEWS – Jessie & Josh’s Cinema Date

YOUR NEWS – Jessie & Josh’s Cinema Date

Jessie Buckley (Juliet) and Josh O’Connor (Romeo) in Romeo & Juliet at the National Theatre. Photo: Rob Youngson

The NT’s film Romeo & Juliet, with Josh O’Connor and Jessie Buckley, to be screened in cinemas for one night only on 28 September


By Louisa Terry

The film stars Josh O’Connor as Romeo and Jessie Buckley as Juliet, and will be available to screen across the UK and Ireland.
Directed by Simon Godwin, this new 90-minute version was filmed in 17 days in the NT’s Lyttelton theatre in December while it was closed due the pandemic. It was adapted for screen by Emily Burns. The film premiered on television earlier this year on Sky Arts in the UK on 4 April and PBS in the US on 23 April. But this is the first time the film will be available on the big screen.
Simon Godwin said: “When we came to make Romeo & Juliet as a film, we had always wanted it to succeed as well on screen as it ever would on stage. So it is the ultimate thrill for all the creatives involved that it is now having its chance to be seen on the big screen. Shakespeare, as Derek Jarman once said, would’ve loved cinema. I’m excited to imagine Shakespeare eating his popcorn watching his wonderful play lit up and brought to life on the big screen in such a dazzling way.”
Romeo and Juliet risk everything to be together. In defiance of their feuding families, they chase a future of joy and passion as violence erupts around them.
This bold new film brings to life the remarkable backstage spaces of the National Theatre in which desire, dreams and destiny collide to make Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy sing in an entirely new way.
The cast also includes Ella Dacres as Peta, Fisayo Akinade as Mercutio, Deborah Findlay as the Nurse, Tamsin Greig as Lady Capulet, Ellis Howard as Sampson, Lloyd Hutchinson as Lord Capulet, David Judge as Tybalt, Adrian Lester as the Prince, Alex Mugnaioni as Paris, Lucian Msamati as the Friar, Shubham Saraf as Benvolio and Colin Tierney as Lord Montague.
The Romeo & Juliet soundtrack will also be released digitally worldwide on Friday, 6 August.
For more information and to find your nearest venue, please visit www.ntlive.com.


The NT adds five new productions to streaming platform: National Theatre at Home

By Katie Marsh

Michaela Coel’s Chewing Gum Dreams, the Young Vic’s A View from the Bridge directed by Ivo van Hove with Mark Strong and Nicola Walker, and Rufus Norris’ production of Everyman with Chiwetel Ejiofor will be available for all audiences worldwide to stream.
Danny Boyle’s production of Frankenstein and Sonia Friedman Productions’ Hamlet with Benedict Cumberbatch will also be available for audiences outside the UK & Eire.
New productions are added each month and National Theatre at Home now has twenty-six productions to stream on the platform available at anytime, including Angels in America Parts One and Two with Andrew Garfield, Nathan Lane and Russell Tovey, Medea with Helen McCrory and Michaela Coel, Mosquitoes with Olivia Colman and Olivia Williams, Phèdre with Helen Mirren, the Young Vic’s Yerma with Billie Piper and Othello with Adrian Lester.
All productions on National Theatre at Home are available with captions. Medea and A Comedy of Errors will now also be available with audio-description to support blind and partially sighted audiences worldwide. There are fifteen National Theatre at Home titles available with audio-description.
National Theatre at Home is available at www.ntathome.com with single titles available from £5.99 – £8.99, a monthly subscription for £9.99 or an annual subscription for £99.99.
Emma Keith, Director of Digital Media at the NT, said: “It’s fantastic to be able to make more of these impactful and enchanting productions available for audiences around the world to enjoy. I’m delighted to be able to showcase some important productions in our recent theatre history, such as Chewing Gum Dreams which went onto become the BAFTA-winning television series, Hamlet which was the fastest-selling ticket in history, Rufus Norris’ first production as National Theatre Director in Everyman and A View from the Bridge at The Old Vic.”

Benedict Cumberbatch as Hamlet, performed at the Barbican Theatre.  Photo: Johan Persson

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