The productions are suitable for children aged three and older, with learning resources to support teachers using them in the classroom.
The plays include Peter Pan, Treasure Island, I Want My Hat Back, Romeo & Juliet, The Winter’s Tale, Jane Eyre, and wonder.land – as well as Meet the Story Seekers to introduce pupils to the Story Seekers quest.
Each production is accompanied by a learning pack which contains age and key stage guidance, synopses and classroom activities to explore the production and its creation.
Meanwhile, the National Theatre’s Let’s Play programme for UK primary schools has been expanded, offering free and low-cost resources for learning about, making and performing theatre. These resources include:
- Let’s Learn: Lesson plans exploring the world of theatre, downloadable creative resources and short activities for the classroom, as well as CPD opportunities for teachers.
- Let’s Perform: Access to nine play scripts, CPD for teachers and toolkits to create your own pieces of theatre as well as the tools to devise shorter performances suitable for assemblies.
- Let’s Watch: Access to recordings of plays suitable for primary pupils to watch in the classroom with accompanying learning resources via the National Theatre Collection.
From top: The National Theatre’s Lets Play programme takes to the stage at the Liverpool Empire (images: Phil Tragen/National Theatre); the 2014 Treasure Island production (image: Johan Persson/National Theatre)
Alice King-Farlow, director of learning at the National Theatre, said: “We hope these resources and productions will support teachers and pupils to explore their creativity and learn about the world of theatre, while developing key oracy, literacy and social skills.”
- For details of the Let’s Play Primary Schools Programme, visit www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/letsplay
- To sign up to the National Theatre Collection for Primary Schools, visit www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/ntcollection