National Theatre Live announces triple theatrical treat for cinema audiences in 2026
National Theatre Live has announced its next slate of productions releasing to cinemas worldwide in 2026, including two highly anticipated National Theatre productions captured from the Lyttelton stage on London’s South Bank and the re-release of a fan-favourite.
These three titles join the previously announced Hamlet for the 2026 programme. All NT Live releases are captured in front of a live audience in a process honed over 16 years reaching viewers at over 1,000 venues across the UK and many more worldwide.
Returning to cinemas on 26 February (UK only) for the first time in over a decade, Helen Mirren plays Queen Elizabeth II in the Olivier and Tony Award-winning hit production The Audience, directed by Stephen Daldry and written by Peter Morgan. Netflix phenomenon The Crown, also written by Morgan, was based on this hit play. This production from Matthew Byam Shaw for Playful Productions, Robert Fox, and Andy Harries was captured live from London’s West End in 2013 and went on to become one of the most-watched NT Live productions.
For 60 years, Queen Elizabeth II met with each of her prime ministers in a private weekly meeting. This meeting is known as The Audience. From Winston Churchill to Margaret Thatcher and David Cameron, the Queen advised her prime ministers on matters both public and personal. Through these private audiences, we see glimpses of the woman behind the crown and witness the moments that shaped a monarch.
From 28 May, audiences can watch Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton), Éanna Hardwicke (Saipan) and Siobhán McSweeney (Derry Girls) in John Millington Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World, a story of youth and self-discovery directed by Caitriona McLaughlin. This new production will be captured from its run in the Lyttelton theatre where it is playing until 28 February.
Pegeen Flaherty’s life is turned upside down when, on a normal day, a young man walks into her pub claiming that he’s killed his father. Instead of being shunned, the killer Christy Mahon becomes a local hero. The welcome murderer wins hearts and races as he beds himself into village life. That is until a second man unexpectedly arrives on the scene…
BAFTA Award-winner Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread) joins Aidan Turner (Rivals) and Monica Barbaro (A Complete Unknown) in a striking new staging of Christopher Hampton’s celebrated adaptation of Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Marianne Elliott returns to the National Theatre after nine years to direct the major revival of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ classic novel, captured from its run in the Lyttelton theatre where it will play from 21 March to 6 June, ahead of its NT Live cinema release on 25 June 2026.
Marquise de Merteuil is a master in the art of survival. Alongside the magnetic Vicomte de Valmont, they turn seduction into strategy and weaponise desire. But when their alliance collapses into rivalry, the battle between them threatens to destroy everyone in their path.
The National Theatre’s newly appointed Chief Digital Officer, Matt Risley, said: “It has been a blockbuster year for NT Live and 2026 is already shaping up to follow suit. This year we’ve had over 1.2 million admissions worldwide, across six releases, and the momentum shows no sign of slowing down. As we shape the programme of NT Live, we always place audiences at the centre of our programme, and we believe our growing slate will resonate with audiences around the world. It’s brilliant that we’re able to bring back The Audience to the UK after over ten years, an often-requested fan-favourite, alongside two of the most highly anticipated productions of the National Theatre’s new season.”
Audiences can find their nearest screening here, with tickets now on sale.