DESPITE the lockdown, drama lovers can still enjoy a night at the theatre - from the comfort of their own homes!

A selection of much-loved National Theatre Live productions to be made available to watch online for free over the next two months.

While a raft of upcoming shows - including the The Welkin in May at theatres and cinemas in Bangor, Prestatyn, Llandudno Junction or Colwyn Bay - have now been cancelled, from Thursday, April 2 a number of previously screened productions will return via the National Theatre’s YouTube channel. The first production to be broadcast as part of 'NATIONAL THEATRE AT HOME' will be Richard Bean’s One Man Two Guvnors featuring a Tony Award-winning performance from James Corden.

Lisa Burger, executive director and joint chief executive, said:“Our ambition at the National Theatre is to create work which is challenging, entertaining and inspiring and we’re committed to continuing that through these difficult times.

"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."

Other productions streamed as part of NATIONAL THEATRE AT HOME include Sally Cookson’s stage adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre on Thursday 9, Bryony Lavery’s adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island on Thursday 16, and Twelfth Night on the Thursday 23, featuring Tamsin Greig as Malvolia in Shakespeare's classic comedy, with further titles to be announced.

Each production will be free and screened live every Thursday at 7.00pm GMT, it 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, with further details of this programme to be announced.

The company will also release The National Theatre Collection – an online resource for schools, universities, libraries and the wider education sector – now available to access at home during school closure period.

The collection includes high-quality recordings of 24 productions, drawing from 10 years of NT Live broadcasts and never-before-released productions from the National Theatre’s Archive. It’s available now for free to pupils and teachers at state schools and state-funded further education colleges, through remote access provided in partnership with Bloomsbury Publishing. Schools will be able to share log-in details with pupils to access the National Theatre Collection at home during this period.

Teachers can sign up now to National Theatre Collection on Bloomsbury’s Drama Online Platform via nationaltheatre.org.uk/ntcollection

For more on NATIONAL THEATRE AT HOME go to nationaltheatre.org.uk/at-home