The National Theatre’s productions of Frankenstein and Antony & Cleopatra are no longer available to watch as part of National Theatre At Home. However, schools can still watch the full show through the National Theatre Collection service and download the free education pack (see below).
Find out more about the National Theatre Collection.
See our Complete Guide to the National Theatre’s Free Teaching Resources.
National Theatre At Home
National Theatre At Home is a way of seeing some of the NT’s famous work from the comfort of our homes, each Thursday from 7pm.
The series kicked off with their hit production of One Man, Two Guvnors. They continued with a range of productions including Jane Eyre, Treasure Island, Frankenstein, Barber Shop Chronicles and A Streetcar Named Desire.
Currently available is the Nottingham Playhouse production of Alan Bennett’s The Madness of George III. Small Island, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Les Blancs, The Deep Blue Sea and Amadeus has also been announced.
Read more about National Theatre At Home.
ALSO SEE – Teaching Resources & Lesson Plans you can download for free!
About the National Theatre’s Frankenstein
Frankenstein was filmed live in 2011 at the National Theatre in London. This thrilling, sold-out production became an international sensation, seen by more than 800,000 people in cinemas worldwide.
Directed by Academy Award®-winner Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire), this production of Frankenstein sees Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange, Hamlet, Sherlock) and Jonny Lee Miller (Elementary, Trainspotting) alternating between the roles of Victor Frankenstein and his creation.
Childlike in his innocence but grotesque in form, Frankenstein’s bewildered Creature is cast out into a hostile universe by his horror-struck maker. Meeting with cruelty wherever he goes, the increasingly desperate and vengeful Creature determines to track down his creator and strike a terrifying deal.
Please note that this filmed performance is recommended for ages 12 and up.
Find out more about the National Theatre’s Frankenstein.
Free Frankenstein Teaching Resources
Download the National Theatre’s official Frankenstein Education pack. The resource helps you and your students explore the production at home with insights into the show and process.
This versatile resource is suitable for Key Stage 3 as an introduction to the themes from the show. The pack also supports more advanced study for GCSE and A-Level students reviewing the show.
The Frankenstein education pack is accompanied by supporting educational videos. The films explore everything from the life of Mary Shelley to how the production was brought to the stage.
- Mary Shelley: A Biography
- Frankenstein: Stories of man-made monsters
- Victor Frankenstein: a character study
- The Creature: a character study
- Doubling Frankenstein and The Creature
- Cruelty, Violence and The Creature
- Directing Frankenstein
- Adapting Novels for the Stage
Download the National Theatre’s official Frankenstein Learning Resource.
About the National Theatre’s Antony & Cleopatra
Ralph Fiennes (The English Patient, James Bond: Spectre) and Sophie Okonedo (Chimerica, Hotel Rwanda) play Shakespeare’s famous fated couple in his great tragedy of politics, passion and power.
Caesar and his assassins are dead. General Mark Antony now rules alongside his fellow defenders of Rome. But at the fringes of a war-torn empire the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra and Mark Antony have fallen fiercely in love. In a tragic fight between devotion and duty, obsession becomes a catalyst for war.
Simon Godwin (Hansard, Twelfth Night) directed this critically acclaimed production at the National Theatre in 2018. You can watch Antony & Cleopatra on the National Theatre’s YouTube channel from 7pm UK time on Thursday 7 May for one week.
Please note, this filmed performance was given a BBFC rating of 12A and contains some staged violence and flashing lights.
Find out more about the National Theatre’s Antony & Cleopatra.
Free Antony & Cleopatra Teaching Resources
Download the National Theatre’s official Antony & Cleopatra Education pack. The resource helps students look into the production with in-depth activities around the show.
This resource is suitable for Key Stage 4 & 5, supporting GCSE and A-Level students reviewing the show. The pack includes suggestions and highlights of what students can look out for in the production. Use the show to examine the form, artistic choices and analysing the overall effectiveness of the piece.
The pack also includes links to a rehearsal diary, podcast and short video about creating Cleopatra’s costumes.
Download the National Theatre’s official Antony & Cleopatra Learning Resource.
How to watch the National Theatre At Home productions of Frankenstein and Antony & Cleopatra
The National Theatre’s productions of Antony & Cleopatra and Frankenstein are no longer available to watch as part of National Theatre At Home. However, schools can still watch the full shows through the National Theatre Collection service.
Find out more about the National Theatre Collection.
Find out more about the National Theatre’s Educational Offering
As well as the National Theatre Collection, the NT offers a wide range of education packs, educational videos and other resources that you can use for free.
See our complete guide on the National Theatre’s Education Offering.
Want more shows you can watch online for free?
See our round up of 28 Shows You Can Watch Online for free! Including Bristol Old Vic, Chichester Festival Theatre, National Theatre, The Old Vic and more!
