National Theatre Live productions to air on Sky Arts in UK TV first

Sky Arts is to air productions from National Theatre Live on free to air TV.

Jane Eyre and Twelfth Night will be broadcast on the channel this Christmas.

It comes as Sky Arts announces it has extended its headline sponsorship of National Theatre Live in the UK for a further three years.

A hugely successful project from one of the country’s leading theatres, National Theatre Live broadcasts critically-acclaimed performances to audiences beyond the theatre walls.

Jane Eyre, a National Theatre co-production with Bristol Old Vic, directed by Sally Cookson and starring Madeleine Worrall and Felix Hayes, won rave reviews for its depiction of the trailblazing heroine and her fight for freedom.

Twelfth Night, directed by Simon Godwin and starring Tamsin Greig as Malvolia, will bring audiences Shakespeare’s well-loved tale of mistaken identity and unrequited love.

Meanwhile, as part of the partnership, members of Sky’s loyalty programme, Sky VIP, will continue to have access to private regional screenings and backstage tours, with over 70,000 tickets made available to customers via the programme last year.

Emma Keith, Head of Broadcast and NT Live added: “We’re delighted that Sky Arts is continuing its headline sponsorship of National Theatre Live in the UK for the next three years, a partnership based on our shared goals of bringing arts and culture to everyone across the UK.

“The theatre and cinema industry have been greatly affected over the last year due to the coronavirus pandemic and many challenges remain, however we are committed to continue sharing our work with audiences.

“We are thrilled that Jane Eyre and Twelfth Night will be shown on Sky Arts this December, the first time NT Live titles will be seen on the small screen, and we hope many people will watch and enjoy them later this year.”