Already in the vanguard by committing to stream every production is the Young Vic, tentatively supported by the Almeida, and hopefully underpinned by the National Theatre at Home service. These change the game for those who can’t access live theatre, with captioning, audio description and literally “being there” when you can’t make it. I’m surprised that the West End’s commercial producers aren’t preserving their shows for posterity and monetising them through internationally available streams while they’re still running. Access isn’t an add-on, but the driver to wider, more engaged audiences. Richard LeeLeigh-on-Sea, EssexRe your report (Amazon to stream major National Theatre plays in UK and Ireland, 25 May), I’ve long argued that National Theatre productions should be broadcast – at the end of their run – on the BBC, which is available to all who pay the licence fee.

Source: The Guardian May 28, 2021 15:11 UTC