National Theatre Live: Frankenstein

National Theatre Live: Frankenstein 2011

8.00

Childlike in his innocence but grotesque in form, Frankenstein’s bewildered creature is cast out into a hostile universe by his horror-struck maker. Meeting with cruelty wherever he goes, the friendless Creature, increasingly desperate and vengeful, determines to track down his creator and strike a terrifying deal. Urgent concerns of scientific responsibility, parental neglect, cognitive development and the nature of good and evil are embedded within this thrilling and deeply disturbing tale.

2011

National Theatre Live: A Streetcar Named Desire

National Theatre Live: A Streetcar Named Desire 2014

7.50

As Blanche’s fragile world crumbles, she turns to her sister Stella for solace – but her downward spiral brings her face to face with the brutal, unforgiving Stanley Kowalski.

2014

National Theatre Live: Vanya

National Theatre Live: Vanya 2024

8.30

Andrew Scott brings multiple characters to life in Chekhov's Uncle Vanya, filmed live in West End, London. Hopes, dreams, and regrets are thrust into sharp focus in this one-man adaptation which explores the complexities of human emotions.

2024

Othello

Othello 1965

6.40

General Othello's marriage is destroyed when vengeful Ensign Iago convinces him that his new wife has been unfaithful.

1965

National Theatre Live: Coriolanus

National Theatre Live: Coriolanus 2014

8.40

When an old adversary threatens Rome, the city calls once more on her hero and defender: Coriolanus. But he has enemies at home too. Famine threatens the city, the citizens’ hunger swells to an appetite for change, and on returning from the field Coriolanus must confront the march of realpolitik and the voice of an angry people.

2014

The Little Big Things

The Little Big Things 2024

1

When one moment changes everything, Henry’s family are split between a past they no longer recognise, and a future they could never foresee. Based on the Sunday Times best-selling autobiography by Henry Fraser, The Little Big Things is a uplifting and colourful new British musical with an explosive theatrical pop soundtrack in a world premiere production.

2024

National Theatre Live: Nye

National Theatre Live: Nye 2024

6.00

Confronted with death, National Health Service founder Aneurin ‘Nye’ Bevan’s deepest memories lead him on a mind-bending journey back through his life; from childhood to mining underground, Parliament and fights with Winston Churchill.

2024

National Theatre Live: Jane Eyre

National Theatre Live: Jane Eyre 2015

7.00

From her beginnings as a destitute orphan, Jane Eyre’s spirited heroine faces life’s obstacles head-on, surviving poverty, injustice and the discovery of bitter betrayal before taking the ultimate decision to follow her heart.

2015

National Theatre Live: Barber Shop Chronicles

National Theatre Live: Barber Shop Chronicles 2018

7.60

For generations, African men have gathered in barber shops to discuss the world. These are places where the banter can be barbed and the truth is always telling. Follow along as we leap from a barber shop in Peckham to Johannesburg, Harare, Kampala, Lagos and Accra over the course of a single day.

2018

National Theatre Live: Grenfell: in the words of survivors

National Theatre Live: Grenfell: in the words of survivors 2023

10.00

A powerful new verbatim play from the testimony of residents at the heart of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Six years on, interviews conducted with a group of survivors and bereaved reveal the impact of the multiple failures that led to a national disaster, asking: how do we stop this ever happening again?

2023

National Theatre Live: This House

National Theatre Live: This House 2013

8.50

It's February 1974. Ted Heath's Conservative government has been ousted. But only just. In the hung Parliament, Labour manages to form a minority government by sending its whips out wheeling and dealing with the Liberals, Scottish Nationalists and Northern Irish politicians. But this fragile alliance lasts only until October, when another election is called. This time, Labour win with a tiny majority of just three. Now things get tougher as old cross-Party agreements break down and even sick and dying MPs are wheeled into the chamber to cast their votes! James Graham's acclaimed new play whisks us back to the days of the UK's previous hung Parliament, when politics got really dirty in the battle for power.

2013

Frankenstein: A Modern Myth

Frankenstein: A Modern Myth 2012

6.00

From Boris Karloff to Mel Brooks - Frankenstein has fired the imagination of generations of artists who have created their own interpretation of this Gothic masterpiece. Frankenstein: A Modern Myth looks at some of these depictions, including Danny Boyle's sell-out hit at the National Theatre. The film has exclusive access to rehearsals and interviews with Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller - who alternate the roles of Victor Frankenstein and the Creature - and with Danny Boyle. It also features cult film director John Waters: "I'm sympathetic to monsters, and this was the first one I came across as a child".

2012

National Theatre Live: Antony & Cleopatra

National Theatre Live: Antony & Cleopatra 2018

7.40

Caesar and his assassins are dead. General Mark Antony now rules alongside his fellow defenders of Rome. But at the fringes of a war-torn empire the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra and Mark Antony have fallen fiercely in love. In a tragic fight between devotion and duty, obsession becomes a catalyst for war.

2018

National Theatre Live: The Madness of George III

National Theatre Live: The Madness of George III 2018

6.30

It’s 1786 and King George III is the most powerful man in the world. But his behaviour is becoming increasingly erratic as he succumbs to fits of lunacy. With the King’s mind unravelling at a dramatic pace, ambitious politicians and the scheming Prince of Wales threaten to undermine the power of the Crown, and expose the fine line between a King and a man.

2018

National Theatre Live: Julius Caesar

National Theatre Live: Julius Caesar 2018

7.60

Caesar returns in triumph to Rome and the people pour out of their homes to celebrate. Alarmed by the autocrat’s popularity, the educated élite conspire to bring him down. After his assassination, civil war erupts on the streets of the capital. Nicholas Hytner’s production will thrust the audience into the street party that greets Caesar’s return, the congress that witnesses his murder, the rally that assembles for his funeral and the chaos that explodes in its wake.

2018

LOVE

LOVE 2018

5.00

In the communal area of a block of temporary accommodation, the residents go about their day-to-day routines in the run-up to Christmas. The bonds of love that keep people together are put to the test.

2018

National Theatre Live: The Motive and the Cue

National Theatre Live: The Motive and the Cue 2024

7.50

In 1964, Richard Burton, newly married to Elizabeth Taylor, is to play the title role in an experimental new Broadway production of Hamlet under Sir John Gielgud’s exacting direction. But as rehearsals progress, two ages of theatre collide and the collaboration between actor and director soon threatens to unravel.

2024

National Theatre Collection: Romeo and Juliet

National Theatre Collection: Romeo and Juliet 2017

1

A new version for younger audiences by Bijan Sheibani and Ben Power. Originally staged as part of the National Theatre’s Shakespeare for younger audiences programme. This archival recording was captured in 2017. This contemporary production sees a company of eight tell the most famous love story of all time, set against a vivid urban backdrop bursting with excitement, colour, dance and song. A swift, contemporary celebration of Shakespeare’s masterpiece, Bijan Sheibani’s thrilling production brings Romeo and Juliet to life for a new generation.

2017

Death of England: Face to Face

Death of England: Face to Face 2021

8.00

Britain is locked down. Michael and Delroy are dealing with issues closer to home. During an explosive afternoon in Delroy's flat, they are forced to confront their relationship with their country – and with each other.

2021

National Theatre Collection: Translations

National Theatre Collection: Translations 2018

1

Owen, the prodigal son, returns to rural Donegal from Dublin. With him are two British army officers. Their ambition is to create a map of the area, replacing the Gaelic names with English. It is an administrative act with radical consequences.

2018