All The World’s a Stage for Helen Mirren
Thousands of people around the world will get to watch Helen Mirren on stage this evening when the National Theatre launches live broadcasts.
Mirren’s performance in the title role of Jean Racine’s Phèdre is the first in a major experiment to bring the National’s productions to a bigger audience.
The play, which also stars Dominic Cooper of Mamma Mia! fame, is a sell-out apart from a number of seats made available on the day.
A total of 72 cinemas in Britain have signed up to take the broadcasts via satellite, along with 200 screens abroad including Australia, the US, South Africa and countries in Scandinavia.
Nicholas Hytner, the National’s director, said: “We’ve been thrilled by the response of cinemas around the world to this new experiment.”