The Royal Shakespeare Company is to screen its productions live from Stratford as it aims to reach “the widest possible audience”.
The first broadcast will be Richard II with David Tennant in the title role which opens in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in October.
It will be filmed on 13 November and will be simultaneously screened in more than 100 cinemas around the country. It will also be available in north America, Australia, Japan and northern Europe.
The production will be filmed using multiple cameras around the stage and auditorium.
Producer will be John Wyver who collaborated with RSC artistic director Gregory Doran on the RSC's filmed versions of Macbeth with Antony Sher and Harriet Walter for Channel 4, and Hamlet with David Tennant for the BBC.
Richard II will be the first of three RSC Shakespeare plays to be filmed live during the next year, and is the start of a programme to make the company's work more available to a global audience.
Schools will be able to experience the play in the classroom on 15 November. It will be streamed into up to 1,000 schools, reaching an estimated 60,000 students.
David Tennant and members of the creative team including director Gregory Doran will also be on hand to take part in a live online question-and-answer session with students.
Gregory Doran said, “We want to bring the work we make in Stratford to the widest possible audience.
“Taking our productions live into cinemas and direct into schools is the next logical step.
“I'm looking forward to these new broadcasts which are part of our commitment to capture the thrill of sitting in the audience and experiencing theatre live.”