Is the London Frankenstein on DVD?

[Leadingplayer]

They should do that here...now that Cumberbatch and Miller are both draws.

[Wynbish]

No to the question

[Wynbish]

I drove an hour and a half to see it on the big screen. I would love for it to be on DVD. But that's just not what the National Theatre usually does.

"We appreciate the huge amount of interest in Frankenstein, which has continued since the original broadcasts. In response to popular demand, we sought the necessary rights to be able to show the broadcasts again and are delighted we have been able to offer audiences further opportunities to see it at encore screenings.

National Theatre Live is made possible by the support of the artists involved and we are keen to be able to preserve this goodwill so we can continue to make future productions available. We appreciate there is a huge amount of interest in making the broadcast available on DVD but currently this is not the wish of the artists involved.

We do not in any way condone the piracy of recording, both because it is an illegal activity and because it is against the wishes of the artists whose work we represent. I would let you know that if you choose to record, distribute or download the screening of Frankenstein, you are breaking the law and risk legal action.

National Theatre Live is all about creating greater access to the productions on our stage. We try to emulate the theatrical experience as much as possible and believe the big screen, collective cinema experience comes as close as we can get to the original theatrical event.

If you are a fan of anyone involved in the creation of Frankenstein or the National Theatre, we would ask that you respect their wishes and decision, and hope that you will continue to support National Theatre Live in your local cinema.
David Sabel
Head of Digital Media
Producer, NT Live
National Theatre"

[aaronb]

What a shame. They're sitting on a treasure trove with those broadcasts, and their online shop has like five DVDs.

[nasty_khakis]

I agree it (and other recordings) could make money, but they'd have to negotiate a new contract with the actors, director, designers, etc. The cost of paying out these people (plus probably sales percentages) probably won't be worth all the effort. It is a shame, though.

[RippedMan]

Is there anywhere to watch these online?

[EricMontreal22]

Not legally. I know someone who does high res captures of most of the broadcasts and uploads them as torrents (Bolshoi Ballet live, the Met live, etc) but annoyingly he's missed all four (?) screenings of Frankenstein. I'd love to see it again.

As mentioned, the main reason the National manages to be able to do these cinecasts is because of the rule they have not to release them after (it's even a big deal when they do encore showings like they did for Frankenstein), so it's not like they are just sitting on these treasures--they're un-releasable.

[RippedMan]

True. Would be cool though to allow them to get streamed through Netflix or something. I wish I knew how to do bit torrents.