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The coronavirus crisis has hit the arts sector hard, shutting theatres and throwing planned productions into disarray.

But drama enthusiasts missing out on live performances have been given a lifeline by the National Theatre, which is digging into its valuable archive to show popular plays for free on YouTube.

The organisation’s productions are filmed as a matter of course for its National Theatre Live scheme which normally involves shows being beamed to cinemas on a ‘one night only’ basis. These have been watched by six-and-a-half million viewers worldwide.

Now, every Thursday at 7pm, people can stream selected performances for a week on the official NT YouTube channel.

Here's how theatre fans can watch a brilliant free play every week during lockdown