The National Theatre has announced that its critically acclaimed production of The Importance of Being Earnest will stream for free worldwide as part of its Take Your Seats initiative.
The Oscar Wilde classic, directed by Max Webster, will be available on YouTube from 12 to 18 March, with a digital watch‑along premiere taking place at 7pm GMT on 12 March. Viewers can interact via live chat and polls, and captioned, audio described and BSL‑interpreted versions will be available throughout the week.
Captured during its 2024/2025 National Theatre run, the production stars three‑time Olivier Award‑winner Sharon D Clarke alongside Ncuti Gatwa, Ronkẹ Adékọluẹ́jọ́, Eliza Scanlen and Hugh Skinner. Following its initial success, the staging transferred to the Noël Coward Theatre in the West End, playing to packed houses until January 2026 with a cast including Olly Alexander, Nathan Stewart‑Jarrett, Hugh Dennis, Shobna Gulati, Kitty Hawthorne, Jessica Whitehurst, Hayley Carmichael and Stephen Fry.
 
 
 
 
Take Your Seats launched in 2023 and has since offered free streaming of major National Theatre productions. Over 345,000 viewers have accessed the programme, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.
National Theatre at Home currently offers over 110 productions to subscribers, with new titles added monthly. All include captions, and most feature audio description.
More information can be found here.
