to advise you to look out for live West End streams to your local cinemas?

[grovel]

I've just been to watch Alice in Wonderful by the Royal Ballet streamed live from London to a cinema in Bracknell (!). It was fabulous. I paid £10. It would have cost me £60 (min) to see it live.

They've got some West End plays coming up soon. Can't wait.

Wonderland. Fuck it.

If I didn't think I remembered you as seasoned poster, I'd think you were having a bit of a spam sesh

Where should the wonderland bit have gone though?

I must look out for these! Such an amazing idea.

Xmasbaby11, do look out for these screenings. It really was lovely. In the intervals (well, it's live) they screened interviews with cast etc. We had cans of G&T to emulate the real experience! A fabulous thing to do with a child who likes ballet.

Ours has things from the Globe coming up. £18 pp which is cheaper than being there but still expensive from a 'watching as a film' pov.

We have them at our local cinema too, although I've never been to one. A friend, who has a membership there, has watched opera and tennis - and another friend is going to see a streamed West End play soon. It sounds a fab idea.

Absolutely. We've seen a couple of streamings from the NT (People and Last of the Hausmanns). Doesn't really compare with being there: you see what the Director thinks you should see rather than taking background bits in but a bargain at around £12.00 a go when compared with theatre prices (and what it would cost to get/stay there if you don't live in London!)

We're booked the see The Audience in June

How does it work and how do I find out if my local cinema does it?!

In my case Penguin the starting point was with the 'home' theatre website. (I was tearing my hair out because I could NEVER get tickets for what I really wanted to see!) n There's usually a link to streamings by them (if any) and you can sign up for notifications.

Similarly if your local cinema is a 'chain', like Vue or Showcase the chances are there will be an area on their website

Me and Mum have seen swan lake and phantom 25 th anniversary special this way. Fab idea as my budget doesn't stretch to live theatre these days!

I really agree. They aren't cheap by cinema standards, but much cheaper than attending the theatre, and I think you get as good a view, potentially even a better view, if it's a play at the National and the alternative was seats a million miles away.

Plus I was really taken aback by how good the atmosphere is in the cinema - there's a real feeling of anticipation at the ones I've been to. The only thing is that no-one in the cinema audience knows whether you ought to clap or not when the 'real' audience claps.

I am not sure that any shows I want to see would qualify for a cinema showing! Is it an actual live show or did they prerecord the west end show and play it a few times?

No it's an actual live streaming in real time!

on the subject of specials at your local cinema,check out yours for june 18th - a special live (? well, not sure about that) one off show about the pompeii exhibition. should be v interesting. vue chain certainly taking bookings already.

Ooh. It would be BRILLIANT if The Book of Mormon was streamed like that... It would cost DH & I an absolute fortune to go to London to see it but I DESPERATELY want to.

The National Theatre do a similar thing with some plays, it's called NT Live. I got to see the production of Frankenstein with Jonny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch , though it was recorded, not live.