Kinky Boots

Guidance 8+ • 2h 1m

Winner of six Tony awards and featuring hit songs by Cyndi Lauper, this huge-hearted musical by Harvey Fierstein follows an unlikely pair who learn to embrace their differences. Factory owner Charlie is struggling to save his family business, and Lola is an entertainer with a wildly big idea. As they work to rescue the factory, they discover that when you change your mind, you can change the world. Captured live at the Adelphi Theatre in 2018.

The Merry Wives Of Windsor

All Ages • 2h 34m

In this rollicking Shakespeare comedy, two married women devise a hilarious plan to teach their would-be seducer the error of his ways, while their husbands draw their own conclusions. Captured live at Stratford Festival, Ontario, this riotously funny production of The Merry Wives of Windsor is reimagined in 1950s suburbia.

All's Well That Ends Well

Guidance All Ages • 2h 7m

After engineering her betrothal, Helena will do anything to bring her idealised version of romance to life with the wealthy Bertram. But what happens when the reality doesn’t match up to the fantasy? Directed by Blanche McIntyre, this contemporary production of Shakespeare’s enduring dark comedy - exploring themes of romantic fantasy, toxic masculinity and consent – ran in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon in 2022.

Much Ado About Nothing

Guidance 12+ • 2h 40m

In one of Shakespeare's most loved comedies, Much Ado About Nothing, Beatrice and Benedick are adamant in their mutual dislike, while Claudio and Hero are deep in love, and the two stories take an unexpected course. This production was captured by Digital Theatre live at Wyndham's Theatre in London’s West End. It played to sold-out houses and received wide critical acclaim. Directed by Josie Rourke, it starred David Tennant as Benedick and Catherine Tate as Beatrice.

Some Like It Hip Hop

Guidance 8+ • 1h 55m

A comedy of love, mistaken identity and revolution that revolves around Jo-Jo and Kerri, two women who disguise themselves as men to thrive in a patriarchal city. Captured live at London’s Peacock Theatre in 2019, this hip hop twist on Some Like it Hot by ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company was nominated for Best Dance Production at the Black British Theatre Awards in 2020.

She Stoops to Conquer

All Ages • 2h 18m

Oliver Goldsmith’s classic satire of high society sends a pair of suitors into chaos at the hands of prankster Tony Lumpkin. Captured live at the Theatre Royal Bath, this National Theatre and Stockroom (formerly Out of Joint) co-production stars Monica Dolan as Kate Hardcastle and Jason Watkins as Diggory.

The Tempest

Guidance All Ages • 2h 25m

Thought to be Shakespeare’s final play, The Tempest follows a deposed ruler marooned on a remote island, who uses magical arts to enact her revenge. Stratford Festival casts Martha Henry as the complex and flawed Prospero in this visually stunning production.

Love's Labour's Lost

All Ages • 2h 42m

Shakespeare’s comedy of comradery and courtship is given a new lease of life in this 2015 Stratford Festival production, in which four young men swear off women for three years, only to face unexpected consequences.

The Taming of the Shrew

All Ages • 2h 36m

Shakespeare’s comedy about courtship and conquest follows Katherina and Petruchio in a classic battle of the sexes. The fierce and the funny collide slickly in the hands of Stratford Festival, featuring Deborah Hay and Ben Carlson as the sparring couple in an award-winning performance.

Six Actors in Search of a Director

Guidance 18+ • 1h 17m

Six actors sit in a remote hotel, waiting to be called on to a movie set. They wait, and they keep on waiting… Steven Berkoff’s slick one-act comedy explores an actor’s need for expression and the power that directors hold over their subjects.

As You Like It

All Ages • 2h 39m

Shakespeare’s romantic comedy gets a modern-day makeover with music, cross-dressing and physical comedy in this energetic production from the Royal Shakespeare Company. Captured live in Stratford-upon-Avon in 2019, Kimberley Sykes’ production invites audience participation as the ensemble brings the Forest of Arden to life. Production photography by Topher McGrillis

Measure for Measure

Guidance 14+ • 2h 27m

Shakespeare’s tale of power and punishment is relocated to 1900s Vienna where a young nun is compromised by a corrupt official in this provocative production from the Royal Shakespeare Company. Captured live in Stratford-upon-avon in 2019, RSC Artistic Director Gregory Doran explores the parallels between 20th-century Vienna and the modern day #MeToo movement. Production photography by Helen Maybanks

The Taming of the Shrew

Guidance 12+ • 2h 38m

One of Shakespeare's most problematic plays is flipped on its head in this gender-swapping adaptation from the Royal Shakespeare Company, where a matriarchal society dominates 1590's Britain. Captured live in Stratford-upon-avon in 2019, Justin Audibert’s main house debut delivers a statement production on female empowerment, underscored by Ruth Chan's searing "rock renaissance" music. Production photography by Ikin Yum

The Tempest

All Ages • 1h 43m

Phyllida Lloyd’s final instalment of the Donmar Shakespeare Trilogy concludes with an all-female version of The Tempest starring Harriet Walter as Prospero and music by British singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading. This captivating reimagining explores themes of freedom and justice in the context of a women’s prison. The Donmar Shakespeare Trilogy began in 2012 with Julius Caesar and was followed by Henry IV in 2014 and The Tempest in 2016. These critically acclaimed productions were captured live at Donmar Kings Cross and co-produced by the Donmar Warehouse and Illuminations.

Twelfth Night

All Ages • 2h 21m

One of his most beloved comedies, Shakespeare’s tale of love, loss and disguise is brought to life in this Victorian reimagining from the Royal Shakespeare Company. Captured live in Stratford-upon-Avon, Christopher Luscombe’s visually striking production explores the play’s ambiguities while vividly evoking the opulence and decadence of 1890s London. Production photography by Manuel Harlan

Smile Upon Us, Lord

All Ages • 2h 32m

Rimas Tuminas' adaptation of two novels by fellow Lithuanian, Grigory Kanovich, is a dreamy, ruminative, comedic road trip, centring around the parlous fortunes of Eastern European Jews at the start of the 20th century. This visually striking production was captured by Stage Russia HD at the Vakhtangov Theatre and is performed in Russian with English subtitles.

The Suicide

12+ • 2h 49m

Sergey Zhenovach's staging of Nikolai Erdman's banned Soviet-era comedy centres around a young, unemployed man desperate enough to contemplate ending it all. This production was captured by Stage Russia HD at The Theatre Art Studio in Moscow. The play, originally written in 1928 and unproduced until 1990, forms a link in Russian literary history between the satirical mastery of Nikolai Gogol and the post-World War II Theatre of the Absurd.

Love's Labour's Won

All Ages • 2h 27m

With his mysterious title applied here to Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare’s tale of relationships beginning and ending is brought to life in this Edwardian reimagining from the Royal Shakespeare Company. Captured live in Stratford-upon-Avon, this adaptation was paired with Love’s Labour’s Lost, with both productions featuring the same company of actors and set.

The Two Gentlemen of Verona

All Ages • 2h 21m

One of his earliest plays, Shakespeare’s tale of love, friendship and rivalry is brought to life in this modern-dress production from the Royal Shakespeare Company. Captured live in Stratford-upon-Avon, this adaptation marked the first time in 45 years that The Two Gentlemen of Verona had been performed in a full production on the Royal Shakespeare Theatre stage.

The Tempest

All Ages • 2h 24m

“My library was dukedom large enough.” Thought to be one of his final plays, Shakespeare’s tale of family, magic and revenge is brought to life in this visually striking production from the Royal Shakespeare Company. Captured live in Stratford-upon-Avon, this adaptation was created in collaboration with Intel and in association with The Imaginarium Studios, and featured the very first live motion capture performance in a major classical stage production. Production photography by Topher McGrillis

The Merchant of Venice

All Ages • 2h 8m

One of his most complex and problematic plays, Shakespeare’s tale of money, prejudice and justice is brought to life in this modernised production from the Royal Shakespeare Company. Captured live in Stratford-upon-Avon, Polly Findlay’s visually compelling adaptation is set in reflective gold and casts Palestinian actor Makram J. Khoury as Jewish moneylender Shylock.

Love's Labour's Lost

All Ages • 2h 20m

One of his earliest comedies, Shakespeare’s tale of love and courtship is brought to life in this Edwardian reimagining from the Royal Shakespeare Company. Captured live in Stratford-upon-Avon, this adaptation was paired with Love’s Labour’s Won (Much Ado About Nothing), with both productions featuring the same company of actors and set."

Love's Labour's Lost

All Ages • 2h 47m

When the King of Navarre and his three courtiers forswear all pleasure - particularly of the female variety - in favour of a life of study, the arrival of the Princess of France and her ladies plays havoc with their intentions. Shakespeare's most intellectual comedy is brought to hilarious life by Dominic Dromgoole's 2009 Shakespeare's Globe production.

As You Like It

All Ages • 2h 26m

When Rosalind falls in love with Orlando, her usurping uncle banishes her from court. Disguised as a boy she seeks out her father in the Forest of Arden, where mystery, melancholy and marriage become rife. Featuring cross-dressing, slapstick and poetry, Thea Sharrock's 2009 production for Shakespeare's Globe brings to life the most playful elements of Shakespeare's pastoral romance.

Private Lives

Guidance 12+ • 1h 36m

Private Lives, a comedy of manners by Noel Coward, sees a romance revisited between Elyot and Amanda after they unexpectedly meet each other while both on honeymoon with their respective spouses. This production was captured by Digital Theatre live at the Gielgud Theatre in London’s West End. It was directed by Jonathan Kent and starred Toby Stephens as Elyot and Anna Chancellor as Amanda. It was described by the Daily Telegraph as “two hours of comic bliss.”

Beautiful Thing

Guidance 12+ • 1h 54m

This 20th anniversary production of Jonathan Harvey’s play about two working class teenage boys falling in love on a South East London council estate was captured by Digital Theatre live at the Arts Theatre in London’s Leicester Square. It was directed by Nikolai Foster and starred Suranne Jones as Sandra, a single mother trying to make the best for her and her sensitive son, Jamie. The production received wide critical acclaim and was revived again two years later.

As You Like It

Guidance 12+ • 2h 40m

As You Like It, Shakespeare’s famous pastoral comedy of love and disguise, is reimagined here with darker, more sombre undertones. This production was captured by Digital Theatre live at the Royal Shakespeare Company’s temporary space, the Courtyard Theatre, in Stratford upon Avon. It was directed by the RSC’s then Artistic Director, Michael Boyd, and starred Jonjo O’Neill as Orlando and Katy Stephens as Rosalind.

The Comedy of Errors

All Ages • 1h 26m

One of Shakespeare’s early comedies, The Comedy of Errors is a fast-paced farce exploring mistaken identities and relations lost and found. This production was captured by Digital Theatre live at the Clapham Community Project. It was devised specifically for schools and families by the Royal Shakespeare Company in association with critically acclaimed theatre company, Told by an Idiot. Directed by Paul Hunter, it features a cast made up from the RSC’s ensemble and uses a pared down script, props, live music and physical comedy to convey the story.

Into the Woods

Guidance 12+ • 2h 33m

Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods weaves together many famous fairy tales in an allegorical story of family, love, growing up and the hazy areas between right and wrong. This critically acclaimed production was captured by Digital Theatre live at London’s Regent’s Park Open Air theatre and was directed by Timothy Sheader. It won the Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival and features Hannah Waddingham as the Witch and Jenna Russell as the Baker’s Wife, among many other stand-out performances.

Kafka's Monkey

All Ages • 53m

Kafka’s Monkey is based on ‘A Report to an Academy’, a story by Franz Kafka in which an ape, Red Peter, gives a lecture about his transformation from ape to human. This production was captured by Digital Theatre live at London’s Young Vic, and was adapted by Colin Teevan and directed by Walter Meierjohann. It features an extraordinary critically acclaimed performance from Kathryn Hunter, one of the original members of Complicite, as Red Peter.