THE National Theatre has announced a new initiative that will bring theatre into the home during the coronavirus outbreak.

National Theatre At Home provides access to content online and means audiences can stream National Theatre Live productions for free via YouTube.

From today (Thursday, April 2), 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 the new initiative is Richard Bean’s One Man Two Guvnors featuring a Tony Award-winning performance from James Corden.

Each production is screened live every Thursday at 7pm and 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.

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 April 9, Bryony Lavery’s adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island on April 16, and Twelfth Night on April 23 featuring Tamsin Greig as Malvolia, with further titles to be announced.

National Theatre executive director and joint chief executive Lisa Burger said: “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.”

Go to nationaltheatre.org.uk/at-home for more information