National Theatre Collection
National Theatre Collection brings filmed theatre productions into classrooms, with a catalogue of UK work ranging from Shakespeare to literary adaptations a…
What National Theatre Collection is
National Theatre Collection brings filmed theatre productions into classrooms, with a catalogue of UK work ranging from Shakespeare to literary adaptations and classic comedies. Each play has teaching resources that help students explore its themes, performance and technique. Learning Packs offer plot summaries with timecodes, production notes and suggestions for further research; where available, Rehearsal Insights share rehearsal diaries and Staff Director notes. For primary teaching, Primary Packs and Cross-Curricular Learning Guides cover subjects including English, History, Geography and PSHE. The collection also includes Key Stage 3 Packs and lesson plans for some productions. It is designed for schools and further education, including a curated set for UK state primary schools. UK state-funded schools and FE colleges have free access. Higher education institutions can request a trial and subscription from the sales team; UK independent and worldwide schools can ask JCS Online Resources about subscription and trial details. It is available on the web, with free and trial access options.
Good
- Free access for UK state-funded schools and FE colleges
- Teaching resources accompany each play
- Primary guides cover several school subjects
- Available on the web
Watch out
- Higher education access requires contacting the sales team
- Some packs and lesson plans are available only for some productions
Who it suits
It suits teachers and education institutions looking to use filmed theatre productions and accompanying teaching resources. Its resources include material for primary education, Key Stage 3 and further education.
Verdict
National Theatre Collection combines filmed productions with teaching materials for schools and further education. Access terms vary by institution, so schools should check which option applies to them.
Plans and prices
From National Theatre Collection's own pricing page, checked 9 Oct 2001.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| UK state-funded schools and FE colleges | Free | Free access for UK state-funded schools and FE colleges |
| UK state-funded schools and FE colleges | Free | UK state-funded schools · UK sixth-form colleges · UK FE colleges |
| EdTA member access | Free | EdTA members and their schools · unlimited access · included with EdTA membership |
| Higher education institutions | Priced on request | Trial and subscription available by contacting the sales team |
| UK independent schools and worldwide schools | Priced on request | Subscription fee; trial available; contact JCS Online Resources for details |
| Independent schools and higher-education institutions | Priced on request | Institutional access · Drama Online platform · annual subscription or perpetual access; price on request |
The facts
Each one read from National Theatre Collection's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Accessibility
- Closed captions are available on every production and audio description is available for many titles.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Additional access formats
- Some films offer audio-described and British Sign Language versions.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Adoption fact
- Drama Online states that 1.3 million pupils use the Collection each year.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Catalogue
- The collection offers UK productions ranging from Shakespeare to literary adaptations and classic comedies.checked 9 Oct 2001
- Clip-based teaching
- Teachers can stream complete productions or pull selected clips for individual lessons.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Collection 1 size
- Collection 1 contains 30 filmed performances drawn from ten years of National Theatre Live broadcasts and National Theatre archive recordings.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Collection modules
- Drama Online lists National Theatre Collections 1, 2, 3 and 4 as separate video collections.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Concurrent use
- The ProQuest K-12 product supports unlimited simultaneous use.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Documentation depth
- Drama Online publishes help covering institutional login, personal sign-in, simultaneous access, mobile use, browser support and accessibility.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Full productions
- The service provides full-length productions filmed live on stage with cinematic presentation.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Genres and eras
- The catalogue spans Shakespeare, Greek tragedy, literary adaptations, world drama and contemporary classics.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Higher education access
- Higher education institutions can request a trial and subscription through the National Theatre Collection sales team.checked 9 Oct 2001
- Integrations
- The collection is distributed through Bloomsbury's Drama Online and ProQuest's integrated library solution.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Intended users
- The collection is designed for schools and further education, with a curated set of productions and resources for UK state primary schools.checked 9 Oct 2001
- International access
- The National Theatre reported more than 80 productions and learning resources for schools, colleges, universities, and the wider education sector in 2025.checked 9 Oct 2001
- Launch date
- The National Theatre annual report says the Collection launched in September 2019.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Learning packs
- Learning Packs include plot synopses with timecodes, production notes, and pointers for further research.checked 9 Oct 2001
- Learning resources
- Learning resources include production packs, rehearsal insights, Key Stage 3 packs and primary cross-curricular guides.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Licence
- The reviewed product pages describe institutional streaming access and do not state an open-source licence.checked 15 Oct 2001
The company
- Company founding
- The company was incorporated on 8 February 1963.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Company headquarters
- The registered office is The Royal National Theatre, Upper Ground, London SE1 9PX.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Company legal identity
- The Royal National Theatre is an active private company limited by guarantee without share capital, company number 00749504.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Company size
- LinkedIn lists National Theatre as a nonprofit with 1,001–5,000 employees and headquarters in London.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Founded
- 1963checked 28 Sep 2001
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