This report shares lessons from Nesta and The National Theatre's project: National Theatre Live, the programme that broadcasts theatre performances in local cinemas.

Key findings:

• NT Live has suddenly created a new and significant audience that can only interact with The National Theatre remotely and who can now interact with us more meaningfully, actually seeing whole productions.

• 84 per cent of NT Live cinema audiences ‘felt real excitement’ because they knew that the performance they were watching was taking place live that evening.

• ‘Liveness’ can be communicated successfully through satellite transmission of live theatre, and audiences value this unique atmosphere

NT Live, the National Theatre's programme of digital cinema broadcasts launched in 2009, marked the first time the live broadcast of theatre performances had been attempted on this scale in the UK.

The National Theatre regarded the feasibility study as an exciting new opportunity to reach more people across the UK approaching it with a spirit of open-mindedness and treating it as a case study that risked failure.

The report gives an overview of how the National Theatre developed the project, highlighting some of the key issues to consider, and asks what the future may be for this kind of digital delivery.

Author:
Nesta