The National Theatre has announced the next titles in its popular series of weekly streams on its YouTube channel during theatre’s shutdown. The four dramas will transport viewers to Shakespeare’s Rome, Tennessee Williams’ New Orleans, the hung British parliament of 1974 and barbershops from London to Harare.
The broadcast on 14 May is a never-before-seen archive recording of Inua Ellams’ acclaimed Barber Shop Chronicles, a co-production with Fuel and Leeds Playhouse, directed by Bijan Sheibani. Starring Fisayo Akinade, Hammed Animashaun and Cyril Nri, it was filmed at the National’s Dorfman theatre in 2018.
The next three streams have all been previously screened in cinemas as part of NT Live. On 21 May, viewers can see Gillian Anderson as Blanche Dubois in Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, directed by Benedict Andrews at the Young Vic in 2014. Vanessa Kirby stars as Stella.
The National’s production of the political comedy This House by James Graham follows on 28 May. Directed by Jeremy Herrin and filmed in 2013, it stars Phil Daniels as Bob Mellish, Labour chief whip during Britain’s 1974 parliamentary crisis.
The fourth production is the Donmar Warehouse’s 2013 staging of Coriolanus, starring Tom Hiddleston in the title role, directed by Josie Rourke. It will be streamed on 4 June. All productions will be screened live at 7pm BST and will be available on demand for seven days. The streams are free but include a request for viewers to consider a donation, either to the National or another theatre.
The National is also running a series of quizzes. The next is on 25 May, introduced by James Graham, with questions posed by Imelda Staunton, Lucian Msamati, Meera Syal and Jessie Buckley. The quiz is available via the NT’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.
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