The National Theatre have opened up their vast archives to offer the nation a dose of feel good theatre during the Coronavirus Crisis. The National Theatre At Home initiative will see the institution beam one play per week over its You Tube channel.
The company, which is said to have the largest collection of theatre recordings in the world, will begin the new season on Thursday the 2nd of April with Richard Bean’s ‘One Man. Two Guvnors’. The play, which debuted at the National Theatre, opened to widespread critical acclaim in 2011.
The play is Bean’s adaptation of the commedia dell’arte classic Servant of Two Masters. The National Theatre production, which featured James Corden in the leading role of Francis Henshall and Nicholas Hytner directing, was hailed as “a triumph of visual and verbal comedy” by the Guardian.
One Man, Two Guvnors will be followed by Sally Cookson’s well received Jane Eyre on the 9th of April, with William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night showing on the 23rd April.
In addition to the season of free plays, the NT will also offer a variety of bonus content, including cast Q&As and post show discussions. The theatre is said to be also ramping up an improved offering for students, with a variety of new study resources being made available on the NT website.
This is an incredibly difficult period for cultural institutions, given the Government’s closure of all arts venue around the country. With most theatres relying on the revue recieved from ticket sales, many are set to struggle during the lockdown. If you would like to help the National Theatre during this challenging period, contributions can be made via a special section of the National Theatre at Home website.
The full list of National Theatre At Home productions is outlined below:
2 April: One Man Two Guvnors
9 April: Jane Eyre
16 April: Treasure Island
23 April: Twelfth Night
April 30 & May 1 Frankenstein
May 7 Anthony & Cleopatra
May 14 Barber Shop Chronicles
May 21 A Streetcar Named Desire
May 28 This House
June 4 Coriolanus
June 11 The Madness of King George III
June 18 Small Island
June 25 A Midsummer Night’s Dream
July 2 Les Blancs
July 9 Deep Blue Sea
July 16 Amadeus
Each performance will be available for a week.
More information on the National Theatre at Home initiative can be found here. If you’d like to watch a production, please click here.
For information on other ways to experience London theatre at home, please click here.
