National Theatre launches pay-for-plays online

The National Theatre have launched NT At Home, a brand new streaming service which allows audiences to access a range of plays from the comfort of their own home.

Among the titles available to watch online are Mosquitoes starring Olivia Colman, Yerma starring Billie Piper and Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus. These titles fall into the two categories of the streaming service; National Theatre Live productions that were filmed for broadcast to cinemas across the nation; and a selection of NT Archive plays that have never been released online before.

Mosquitoes at The National Theatre               Phedre at The National Theatre              Othello at the National Theatre

Audiences will also be able to choose whether to subscribe to the service for £9.98 a month (£99.98 annually) or pay one off fees of £5.99-£7.99 for single views.

Defending their decision to charge audiences to access these plays, National Theatre Director, Rufus Norris said “…A lot of the money that we bring in is immediately fed back to the artists who made the work and our partner theatres. As we know the freelance artists, on who this industry entirely depends, have been facing huge difficulties at this time so any income we can get to them is going to be crucial.”

The Courtyard usually hosts a wide range of National Theatre Live Screenings alongside its regular film programme and are excited to be able to welcome audiences back when Covid regulations allow in 2021.

Check out the National Theatre’s bank of plays here.