There’s nothing better than that feeling of anticipation as the house lights dim, the performers take their places, and the deafening silence of an eager audience fills the theatre.

I’ve always loved the performing arts, and recently I’ve even started planning vacations around my thirst for a good show. For example, I thought it would be nice to have a weekend getaway a few months ago, but my main motivation was wanting to see Hamlet at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Yes, I flew across the country to see a play, but with the international theatre and dance now being shown in cinemas, you may not have to leave your hometown to do the same.

I recently discovered the joy of seeing world-class theatre at my local cinema when I saw Benedict Cumberbatch in National Theatre’s Hamlet. It was superb. I’ve seen countless Hamlets over the years, and this was the all-around best. The calibre of the acting, the detailed and stunning sets, and the nuanced direction (care of Lyndsey Turner) made this an extremely enjoyable three and a half hours. Don’t worry about the length; they give you an intermission, just as if you were at the theatre.

London’s National Theatre has been filming their productions live in HD since 2009, and they broadcast to over 1,000 cinemas around the globe. Coming on January 23, you can see an encore of their production of Jane Eyre, and on January 28 you can catch Les Liaisons Dangereuses featuring an all-star cast including Downton Abbey’s Michelle Dockery. They will also be broadcasting their production of As You Like It on February 25. If you can’t fly to London to see these shows, this is the next best thing.

If you’re interested in theatre from a bit closer to home, the Stratford Shakespeare Festival has also entered the digital age and this past year began broadcasting select productions in cinemas, although not live ones. Last year, they presented three 2014 productions (King Lear, King John, and Antony and Cleopatra), and although they have yet to announce this year’s lineup, we can expect to see Hamlet, Love’s Labour’s Lost, and The Taming of the Shrew — maybe even Pericles.  

Along with theatre, world-class ballet companies have also begun showing in cinemas, namely The Bolshoi Ballet and The Royal Ballet. Upcoming shows include the Bolshoi’s The Taming of the Shrew on January 24, and Royal Ballet’s Rhapsody and Two Pigeons on January 31. For any dance lover, this is an amazing opportunity to have access to these international companies, and for a fraction of the price of being there in person.

For opera lovers, The Metropolitan Opera is also on screens around the world, and their 2016 season includes Tannhäuser, Lulu, Les Pêcheurs de Perles, Madama Butterfly, and Elektra.

Aside from that, there are a few other events of interest that you might rather see live in cinemas instead of shelling out thousands of dollars — you can see the TED 2016: Dream conference opening night on February 15 in cinemas for about $20, instead of the $8,500 it costs to be at the conference in person. One-off events come up from time to time as well, such as the Monty Python Live (Mostly) reunion show which was broadcast around the world live from London in 2014.

You won’t want to miss the opportunity to see these exceptional productions on the silver screen in 2016.

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