Following the success enjoyed by the pilot season of its cinema experiment NT Live, the National Theatre has announced that the current production of London Assurance and forthcoming productions of Hamlet and Frankenstein will also be broadcast live to cinemas around the world.
The scheme, which screened live versions of Phèdre, All’s Well That Ends Well and Nation, has already allowed more than 100,000 people in 22 countries to enjoy National Theatre productions that they otherwise may not have seen. The screening of Alan Bennett’s latest play The Habit Of Art, which takes place tomorrow, will add another 16,000 viewers to that total.
Speaking about NT Live, National Theatre Artistic Director Nicholas Hytner said: “We couldn’t have foreseen that the experimental NT Live season would be such a hit with audiences around the world, who are hungry to see our work in their local cinema. Through NT Live we can respond immediately to the sell-out success of London Assurance and bring it to tens of thousands who wouldn’t otherwise be able to see it. And we’re thrilled that we can confidently build on the success of our first season with a second season of broadcasts.”
The hit revival of London Assurance, Dion Boucicault’s comedy currently playing in the Olivier theatre with a cast including Richard Briers, Simon Russell Beale and Fiona Shaw, will be screened on 28 June at 19:00.
No dates have been set for the new season’s shows. Hamlet, in which Rory Kinnear, who plays the title role, is joined by National Theatre regular Clare Higgins as Gertrude and Ruth Negga as Ophelia, will be screened sometime in the autumn. Frankenstein, directed by Oscar-winner Danny Boyle, will be shown in early 2011.
MA