National Theatre shares 10 world-class productions with education bodies globally
Hattie Fisk
Thursday, September 23, 2021
Adding to their already successful National Theatre Collection, an additional 10 theatre productions have been added to the platform for schools, colleges and education bodies worldwide, in partnership with Bloomsbury Publishing and ProQuest.
Marc Brenner
71 per cent of UK state secondary schools have now signed up to access the National Theatre Collection, which is free for UK state-funded schools and FE colleges. Private schools and international education institutions will need to top up their subscriptions to access the new productions.
The new collections of productions include contemporary plays, such as James Graham’s This House, and Inua Ellams’ Barbershop Chronicles and Three Sisters. 20th century American dramas also feature, including Arthur Miller's All My Sons, performed at the Old Vic, starring Sally Field and Bill Pullman, and A View from the Bridge from the Young Vic, directed by Ivo van Hove and starring Mark Strong and Nicola Walker.
Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth is available to watch, directed by Rufus Norris, the director of the NT. Younger audiences can watch I Want My Hat Back, an adaptation of Jon Klassen’s children’s picture book.
Alice King-Farlow, director of Learning at National Theatre said, ‘The National Theatre Collection has been a vital resource for many schools and colleges over the past year and we are delighted to expand this offering with a new collection of brilliant productions in partnership with Bloomsbury Publishing and ProQuest.
‘We want to ensure access to the arts as part of a rich and broad education for every young person across the UK and through theatre. We hope to inspire students to be curious, learn new skills and develop new perspectives to explore the world around them’.
Elizabeth Ransome, teacher at Chorlton High School in Manchester said ‘The National Theatre Collection is a great resource as both an educational tool and an end of term treat. The Collection has helped our students to engage with drama whilst also developing their use of oracy, storytelling and creative writing skills.
‘As a drama teacher we have had to think outside the box this past year to adapt teaching, but with resources like this we are managing to get students to experience drama and theatre as much as possible’.
A further 10 titles will be added in February 2022. Schools and educational establishments can sign up to access the National Theatre Collection here.
www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/learning/national-theatre-collection
