National Theatre Live: From the best seat in the house

This week, dear readers, we’re going decidedly upmarket; no fast cars, no gambling, no packaged goods and no alcohol, no my darlings, as we’re treading the boards for National Theatre Live, the pioneering scheme that films live performances of plays and screens them in cinemas and other venues around the world.

Launched in 2009, the initiative actually aims to open up theatreland to a wider audience by bringing high-quality productions to those who may not have the opportunity – or hard cash – to attend performances in person, with recent productions such as Prima Facie starring Jodie Comer and Andrew Scott’s Vanya. The next release will be The Importance of Being Earnest, starring Doctor Who and Sex Education actor Ncuti Gatwa.

In fact, with National Theatre Live, audiences worldwide can experience the magic of theatre, from ‘the best seat in the house’, giving everyone the chance to access all that the theatre has to offer, up close and personal.

Enter (stage right, naturally) a new film, designed to reinforce this mission to make world-class theatre accessible to more people in more locations than ever before.

Created by Wonderhood Studios, and starring National Theatre alumnus Benedict Cumberbatch, the 85-second spot opens on a dimly lit stage, before a spotlight illuminates a stand-alone wooden chair.

A silhouetted Cumberbatch walks into frame, ducking into the light and speaks to the audience, requesting them to ‘please, take your seats’. Suddenly, a montage of situational chairs flicker across the screen; the same wooden chair is shown to mirror the emotions in the voice over- ropes held in suspense, tears raining down, joy floating in a flurry of balloons, all before arriving back to Cumberbatch on an empty stage, who speaks to camera saying ‘one performance, an audience of millions, all from the best seat in the house’.

Wonderhood Studios partnered with ManvsMachine, Factory Studios and Avenue Editors to create the visuals of the chair. Their ambition to create a campaign that delves into the feelings experienced when watching a National Theatre Live screening – exploring every emotion (anticipation, suspense, wonder, sorrow, joy, love, fury) up close and personal, reflecting how National Theatre Live is able to capture the best angles for every moment of the show.

According to the official blurb, the chair acts as a metaphor for the audience that ultimately reflects the deep, visceral responses that only live performances can inspire.

The film – supported by organic and paid social, VOD cutdowns, and print – is National Theatre Live’s first brand release in recent years.

Aimed at attracting new audiences to National Theatre Live screens ahead of its 2025 production lineup, the campaign will also feature OOH displays showcasing chair imagery captured by Alex de Mora.

National Theatre chief marketing officer Alex Bayley said: “We’ve loved collaborating with Wonderhood Studios to bring the idea of ‘the best seat in the house’ to life in such a visually exciting way, capturing the immersive and emotional experience of watching National Theatre Live. We can’t wait to share this with audiences worldwide to showcase how, through the big screen, theatre can move, inspire, and connect us all.”

Wonderhood Studios executive creative directors Jack Croft and Stacey Bird added: “We loved bringing this idea to life with top talent both on and off screen and hope that this film will be a long-lasting celebration of everything that makes National Theatre Live so wonderfully compelling to watch.”

So, what is the consensus around the Decision Marketing office?

What do you mean, theatre is for poshos? Philistines! To be fair, this is a great initiative to take performances to the masses and should be “applauded to the rafters”. Sadly, all too often, theatre tickets are astronomically high, with the likes of Ralph Fiennes and Andrew Scott speaking out about the problem of soaring prices in London’s West End last year, where tickets can start at £150 a pop.

And, according to a YouGuv survey, while three quarters of Britons are willing to go to the theatre, fewer than half have been in the last 12 months due to this very issue.

So, hats off to the National and may this work resonate with a much wider audience. As for the rest of you, you can go back to your Corrie, Love Island and Bullseye now.

Decision Marketing Adometer: A “Larry Luvvie” 8 out of 10

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