National Theatre Live has unveiled a compelling slate of productions heading to cinemas worldwide in 2026, offering global audiences access to some of the most anticipated shows from London’s South Bank. These three titles join the previously announced Hamlet for a packed year of theatre on the silver screen, continuing the NT Live process honed over 16 years.
Leading the line-up is the highly requested re-release of Peter Morgan’s The Audience on February 26, 2026 (UK only). The Olivier and Tony Award-winning hit stars Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II, depicting her private weekly meetings with her Prime Ministers. Captured live from London's West End in 2013, the production—which inspired the Netflix series The Crown—was one of the most-watched NT Live productions and is returning for the first time in over a decade.
Next, audiences can catch a new staging of John Millington Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World on May 28, 2026. Directed by Caitriona McLaughlin, the story of youth and self-discovery stars an acclaimed cast including Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton), Éanna Hardwicke, and Siobhán McSweeney (Derry Girls). The play centers on Christy Mahon, a young man who is inexplicably hailed as a hero in a small village after claiming to have killed his father.
Completing the trio is a striking revival of Christopher Hampton’s adaptation of Les Liaisons Dangereuses on June 25, 2026. Directed by the celebrated Marianne Elliott, the production stars BAFTA Award-winner Lesley Manville and Aidan Turner in a tale of deadly rivalry, where the Marquise de Merteuil and Vicomte de Valmont weaponize desire and strategy against each other.
Matt Risley, the National Theatre’s Chief Digital Officer, highlighted the success of the programme: "This year we’ve had over 1.2 million admissions worldwide... 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.”
Tickets for the 2026 slate are on sale now, with screenings available at over 1,000 venues across the UK and many more globally.
