All My Sons with Bryan Cranston: How to Watch the NT Live Cinema Broadcast

If you missed Ivo van Hove's production of Arthur Miller's All My Sons at Wyndham's Theatre earlier this year, you're getting a second chance. The acclaimed production — starring Bryan Cranston, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, and Paapa Essiedu — will be broadcast to cinemas across the UK and internationally on 16 April 2026 as part of the NT Live programme. It's one of the most anticipated cinema events of the spring, and a rare opportunity to see a landmark West End production on the big screen.

About All My Sons

All My Sons is one of Arthur Miller's most powerful plays. Written in 1947, it tells the story of Joe Keller, a self-made American businessman whose wartime manufacturing success is built on a terrible secret. When his business partner faces criminal charges for supplying faulty aircraft parts to the military, and Joe's eldest son goes missing in action, the cracks in the family's comfortable suburban life begin to show.

The play is a devastating examination of guilt, responsibility, and the moral compromises people make in pursuit of prosperity. Miller wrote it as a direct challenge to the post-war American Dream — the idea that personal success could be separated from its wider consequences. Decades later, those themes feel as urgent as ever.

This production marks Ivo van Hove's third Arthur Miller staging, following acclaimed productions of A View from the Bridge and The Crucible. Van Hove is one of the most sought-after directors working in theatre today, and his stripped-back, psychologically intense approach is ideally suited to Miller's forensic examination of a family in crisis.

The Cast: Bryan Cranston, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, and More

Bryan Cranston leads the cast as Joe Keller. Best known globally for his Emmy-winning performance in Breaking Bad, Cranston is also a formidable stage actor — his previous collaboration with van Hove on Network at the National Theatre in 2017 was one of the most talked-about theatre events of the decade. In All My Sons, Cranston brings the same intensity and complexity to Joe Keller, a man whose charm and self-justification gradually unravel under pressure.

Marianne Jean-Baptiste plays Kate Keller, Joe's wife, who clings to the belief that their missing son is still alive. Jean-Baptiste — an Oscar-nominated actress known for her work in Mike Leigh's Secrets & Lies and the recent Hard Truths — brings formidable emotional depth to a role that is simultaneously sympathetic and troubling.

The cast also features Paapa Essiedu as Chris Keller, the surviving son who returns from the war with idealistic convictions that collide with his father's pragmatism. Tom Glynn-Carney and Hayley Squires play George and Ann Deever, whose arrival at the Keller household sets the play's devastating final act in motion. Aliyah Odoffin, Richard Hansell, and Zach Wyatt complete the ensemble.

The creative team includes Jan Versweyveld (scenic and lighting design), An D'Huys (costume design), Tom Gibbons (sound design), Julia Horan (casting), and Ola Animashawun (dramaturg).

The NT Live Cinema Broadcast

NT Live (National Theatre Live) has been broadcasting stage productions to cinemas since 2009, and it remains one of the best ways to experience world-class theatre if you can't get to a London theatre in person. The All My Sons broadcast on 16 April 2026 will be shown in cinemas across the UK and in over 60 countries worldwide.

NT Live broadcasts are captured with multiple cameras during live performances, offering close-ups and angles that reveal details you might miss from the stalls. The result sits somewhere between a live theatre experience and a film — you get the energy and immediacy of a live performance, combined with the visual intimacy of cinema.

For a production as intense and psychologically detailed as All My Sons, the cinema format is particularly effective. Van Hove's direction relies heavily on facial expression and subtle physical acting, and the close-up camera work lets you see every flicker of guilt, denial, and dawning realisation on the actors' faces.

Why Watch Theatre in Cinemas?

If you've never seen an NT Live broadcast, you might wonder whether watching theatre on a cinema screen can compare to the real thing. The short answer: it's a different experience, but an excellent one.

The advantages are significant. Cinema tickets are typically much cheaper than West End seats — often around £15-22 compared to £50-150 for a good seat at a London theatre. You don't need to travel to London. You get a comfortable seat with a guaranteed clear view. And the camera work often reveals nuances in the performances that you'd only catch from the front row of the stalls.

What you lose is the shared energy of a live audience and the electric unpredictability of live performance. But NT Live has become so polished at what it does that the broadcasts feel genuinely immersive. Many people who see both the live show and the cinema broadcast say they noticed things in the cinema version they missed in the theatre.

For a production that has already closed its stage run, cinema is also the only way to experience it. All My Sons concluded its run at Wyndham's Theatre on 7 March 2026, so the NT Live broadcast on 16 April is your chance to see what critics have called an extraordinary production.

How to Find Screenings Near You

NT Live screenings are shown at hundreds of cinemas across the UK, from major chains to independent picture houses. You can find your nearest screening on the NT Live website by searching for All My Sons and entering your postcode.

You can also check our cinema listings to find screenings at cinemas near you. Many cinemas show NT Live broadcasts on the original broadcast date (16 April) and then offer encore screenings in the following weeks, so if you can't make the first date, keep an eye out for additional showings.

Booking in advance is recommended, particularly for the initial broadcast date. NT Live screenings regularly sell out, and with Bryan Cranston's star power, demand for this one is expected to be high.

Other NT Live Screenings Coming in 2026

If All My Sons whets your appetite for theatre on the big screen, there are more NT Live broadcasts coming this spring and summer. The Playboy of the Western World is scheduled for 28 May 2026, followed by Les Liaisons Dangereuses on 25 June 2026. Each offers a chance to see major London productions without the cost and logistics of a West End trip.

Of course, nothing quite replaces the experience of live theatre. If the cinema broadcast inspires you to see more, browse our London theatre tickets for current West End and off-West End shows, or check out our guides to the best West End shows in 2026.

For visitors planning a London theatre trip, we also offer hotel deals near the West End and flights to London from across the UK and Europe. Check our blog for the latest theatre news, booking tips, and itinerary ideas.

All My Sons broadcasts to cinemas on 16 April 2026. Find your nearest screening and book early.