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THE NATIONAL THEATRE ANNOUNCES NATIONAL THEATRE AT HOME: A PROGRAMME OF NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE PRODUCTIONS STREAMED FOR FREE VIA

YOUTUBE

ALSO INCLUDES ACCESS TO THE NATIONAL THEATRE COLLECTION FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS AT HOME

Embargoed until 12:00pm Thursday 26 March

• A selection of much-loved National Theatre Live productions to be made available to watch on YouTube for free over the next two months • The National Theatre Collection – an online resource for schools, universities, libraries and the wider education sector – now available to access at home during school closure period

NT Collection images available to download HERE NT Live images available to download HERE

During this unprecedented time which has seen the closure of theatres, cinemas and schools, the National Theatre today announces new initiative NATIONAL THEATRE AT HOME providing access to content online to serve audiences in their homes. Audiences around the world can stream NT Live productions for free via YouTube, and students and teachers have access to the National Theatre Collection at home, delivered in partnership with Bloomsbury Publishing.

From Thursday 2 April, a number of productions previously screened in cinemas globally as a part of National Theatre Live will be made available to watch via the National Theatre’s YouTube channel. The first production to be broadcast as part of NATIONAL THEATRE AT HOME will be Richard Bean’s One Man Two Guvnors featuring a Tony Award-winning performance from . Each production will be free and screened live every Thursday at 7.00pm GMT, it will then be available on demand for seven days. Alongside the streamed productions, NATIONAL THEATRE AT HOME will also feature accompanying interactive content such as Q&As with cast and creative teams and post-stream talks, with further details of this programme to be announced.

Working closely with YouTube, other productions streamed as part of NATIONAL THEATRE AT HOME include Sally Cookson’s stage adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre on the 9th April, Bryony Lavery’s adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island on 16th April, and on the 23 April featuring Tamsin Greig as Malvolia in Shakespeare's classic comedy, with further titles to be announced.

Lisa Burger, Executive Director and Joint Chief Executive said: “Our ambition at the National Theatre is to create work which is challenging, entertaining and inspiring and we’re committed to continuing that through these difficult times. I'm thrilled that we’re able to fulfil this ambition in a different way through our collaboration with YouTube. I am exceptionally proud of the team at the National Theatre for working so hard to create NATIONAL THEATRE AT HOME and also to the rights holders who have been so supportive of this new initiative allowing us to bring theatre to households right across the world. We have delved into the National Theatre Live archive and curated a programme that’s varied from comedy to new dramas to classics so there is something for everyone to enjoy from their own homes. We will be streaming each production at the same time each week in order to recreate, where possible, the communal viewing experience and we hope this will be an opportunity for people to share their enjoyment together online."

Christina Matteotti, Head of Music and Culture Partnerships, EMEA said: "During this incredibly difficult time, we are so glad that institutions like the National Theatre are using the platform to share treasured cultural content with the UK and global communities who are facing self-isolation. Bringing the comedic delight of One Man Two Guvnors, the magic of shows like Twelfth Night, the mystery of Jane Eyre, and the adventure of Treasure Island to YouTube will be a ray of light during a very difficult time. Technology can bring the cultural and creative world inside your home. We look forward to seeing how NATIONAL THEATRE AT HOME on YouTube delights the community and provides a chance to continue to learn.”

Following the UK schools’ closures, pupils now studying at home will be able to access the National Theatre Collection remotely. The Collection includes high-quality recordings of 24 world-class productions, drawing from 10 years of NT Live broadcasts and never-before- released productions from the National Theatre’s Archive. It’s available now for free to pupils and teachers at state schools and state-funded further education colleges, through remote access provided in partnership with Bloomsbury Publishing. Schools will be able to share log-in details with pupils to access the National Theatre Collection at home during this period.

Bloomsbury Publishing has also extended the free trial period for other academic institutions including universities, libraries and independent schools until the end of May 2020 to continue to support the educational community across the globe.

The recordings of productions are accompanied by learning resources that explore the craft behind the best of British theatre. Available productions include Shakespeare set texts (), 20th Century classics (The Cherry Orchard) and adaptations of Romeo and Juliet and The Winter’s Tale created specifically for younger audiences.

Alice King-Farlow, Director of Learning at the National Theatre said: “Given the unprecedented challenges we are all currently facing across the globe, we want to ensure that pupils, teachers and academic institutions are supported during this time and can continue to have access to a range of learning resources during the school closure period. The National Theatre Collection is an invaluable resource and, with thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing, we are able to open up access to pupils and teachers across the UK and ensure young people will be able to continue to explore world-class productions and all aspects of theatre-making”.

Teachers can sign up now to National Theatre Collection on Bloomsbury’s Drama Online Platform via www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/ntcollection

The National Theatre is currently closed to audiences and performances won’t resume before July. In coming weeks, there will be more opportunities for audiences to engage with the NT through its National Theatre at Home programme – further details to be announced.

The National Theatre - like theatres around the world - is facing a devastating impact from Coronavirus. We are launching National Theatre at Home free of charge. Should viewers wish to make a donation to support the National Theatre, we have launched a public appeal on our home page: nationaltheatre.org.uk

++ ENDS ++ Notes to editors For further information please contact Elaine Jones on [email protected]

About The National Theatre The National Theatre’s mission is to make world class theatre that’s entertaining, challenging and inspiring – and to make it for everyone. It aims to reach the widest possible audience and to be as inclusive, diverse and national as possible with a broad range of productions that play in London, on tour around the UK, on Broadway and across the globe. The National Theatre's extensive UK-wide learning and participation programme supports young people and schools through performance and writing programmes like Connections, New Views and Let’s Play, while Public Acts creates ambitious new works of participatory theatre in sustained partnership with theatres and community organisations around the country. The National Theatre extends its reach through digital programmes including NT Live, which broadcasts some of the best of British theatre to over 2,500 venues in 65 countries, and the free streaming service On Demand In Schools, used by nearly 65% of UK state secondary schools. The National Theatre invests in the future of theatre by developing talent, creating bold new work and building audiences, partnering with a range of UK theatres and theatre companies.

For more information, please visit https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/. @NationalTheatre / @NT_PressOffice

About National Theatre Live National Theatre Live turned ten on 25th June last year - the date of the first ever NT Live broadcast which was Phédre starring Academy Award® winner . Over ten years over 80 theatre productions have been shown in 3500 venues worldwide, reaching an overall audience of more than 10 million people. NT Live currently screens in 2500 venues across 65 countries. Recent broadcasts include Cyrano de Bergerac with James McAvoy, with Andrew Scott, Fleabag with Phoebe Waller-Bridge, with Sally Field and Bill Pullman, with and Lily James, with Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo, with David Morrissey and Ben Whishaw, with Sienna Miller. For more information on screenings and to sign up to the NT Live newsletter, go to http://ntlive.nationaltheatre.org.uk

Sky Arts is Headline Sponsor of NT Live in the UK.

About YouTube Launched in May 2005, YouTube allows billions of people to discover, watch, and share originally-created videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform, and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small. YouTube is a Google company.

For more information, please contact Susan Cadrecha, Head of Comms, YouTube UK, [email protected]

About Bloomsbury Bloomsbury Publishing Plc is an award-winning, innovative and global independent publisher of fiction, non-fiction, children’s education, specialist trade and academic publishing. The group’s overall mission is to publish works of excellence and originality in print and digital formats, serving our communities of authors, customers and readers with the highest possible quality content that will inspire, educate and entertain. Our award wins across the group are testament to this focus on quality, be it the latest Booker prize-winning novelist, awards for book design and layout, the highest quality academic scholarship or industry recognition for our digital innovation. We aim to generate a lasting legacy for our products and can demonstrate long term commitment to the authors and content partners we serve.