National Theatre announces free stream of Othello and 3,600 free tickets to mark 60th birthday

The National Theatre has announced two big freebies as it prepares to mark its 60th birthday on 22 October.

On Thursday 19 October audiences across the UK and around the globe are invited to join the anniversary celebrations with a special free worldwide stream of Othello.

Directed by the National Theatre’s Deputy Artistic Director, Clint Dyer, the production star Olivier Award winner Giles Terera and Rosy McEwen.

Film live on the Lyttelton stage, Othello will premiere on YouTube on Thursday 19 October at 7PM UK time. The stream will be free to watch on YouTube until 22 October.

It will then be available for free on the National Theatre’s flagship streaming platform, National Theatre at Home, until 26 October before joining the catalogue of over 70 plays on the platform available to rent or watch via subscription.

Audiences will also be able to watch the production with audio description and British Sign Language.

Also announced is a birthday present of 3,600 free tickets in October with 60 tickets to be given away for 60 performances for 16–25-year-olds.

Productions on the South Bank and in the West End include The Father and the Assassin, Death of England: Closing Time, The Effect, The Confessions, The Ocean at the End of the Lane and Dear England.

Tickets will be made available to book for free via the National Theatre website on Monday 2 October from 12PM.

Rufus Norris, Director, National Theatre, said: “I’m thrilled to be celebrating 60 years of this extraordinary creative institution by giving audiences the chance to see our productions for free. Audiences are at the heart of everything we do and throwing open our physical doors to young people and our virtual doors to everyone, wherever they may be in the world with Take Your Seats, is the perfect way to celebrate.

“Clint Dyer’s Othello is an astonishing interpretation of a play that has seen five different productions throughout our history and encapsulates the progression of the National Theatre over the past six decades. With the generous support of Bloomberg Philanthropies, we continue to break down barriers to accessing theatre through our flagship National Theatre at Home platform reaching over 170 countries around the world. I hope you will join me in marking this historic moment in our history. Here’s to the next 60 years!”

For more information, visit nationaltheatre.org.uk