Ncuti Gatwa, Katherine Parkinson, Adrian Scarborough, and More Set For National Theatre Live Big Screen Event

National Theatre Live has announced a free event taking place at Manchester Arndale Centre on 22 January, inviting members of the public to take the ‘best seat in the house'. Visitors will have the chance to read an excerpt of a famous play with an actor based at The National Theatre in London, live through a big screen in the middle of the shopping centre, from the comfort of one of Vue's luxurious recliner seats – The Lux seat.

This immersive experience celebrates how National Theatre Live, a pioneer of event cinema, beams high quality theatre from stage to screen, sharing renowned performances with audiences across the world. A new survey* shows that a quarter (25%) of Brits want to go to the cinema more this year, rising to 38% percent for Gen Z audiences. While only 19% of people have attended event cinema to date, almost half (47%) are interested in attending a screening, rising to 53% for Gen Z.

The free event will offer shoppers in Manchester the chance to interact with Ncuti Gatwa, Ronkáșč AdĂ©kọluáșč́jọ́, Eliza Scanlan and Amanda Lawrence from The National Theatre's cast of The Importance of Being Earnest, the next production to release to cinemas through National Theatre Live from 20 February.

Other familiar faces taking part include Adrian Scarborough (Gavin and Stacey), Katherine Parkinson (Rivals), Hammed Animashaun (Black Ops), Craig Parkinson (Line of Duty), Eben Figueiredo (Much Ado About Nothing) and Owen Teale (Game of Thrones), all of whom have previously featured in a National Theatre Live production.

National Theatre Live screens in 850 cinemas and venues across the UK, with a survey showing that almost a third of Brits (31%) highly value accessibility and convenience when choosing arts experiences. What's more, over half (53%) of the UK believe it is important to have arts experiences to maintain a healthy work-life balance, with two thirds (69%) believing event cinema would have positive impact on wellbeing, increasing drastically to 86% for Gen Z audiences.

Alex Bayley, Chief Marketing Officer at The National Theatre, has said, “We are so thrilled to bring National Theatre Live to life in such a dynamic way, reaching outside of London to celebrate the initiative. What National Theatre Live offers so brilliantly is the ability for people around the UK and the world to access incredible productions they might not have been able to see – but importantly it captures these performances to create an emotional and immersive experience. As the survey shows, there is incredible power in the arts and event cinema to improve wellbeing, and we hope this day offers an exciting and fun experience for those who take part.”

Today, National Theatre Live is also releasing a new advert with National Theatre Live alumnus Benedict Cumberbatch (Frankenstein, Hamlet) in a new campaign with Wonderhood Studios. 45% of Brits value high production quality when choosing arts experiences, and this ad showcases how National Theatre Live captures the magic of every moment on stage, letting viewers get up close to take in the spectacle, from the best seat in the house. This is available to watch here and will play before future National Theatre Live screenings in venues worldwide.

Upcoming National Theatre Live titles include The Importance of Being Earnest releasing 20 February and Dr. Strangelove with Steve Coogan releasing 27 March. Screenings can be found at ntlive.com.

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