From scene to screen – how the National Theatre captured The Importance of Being Earnest

But while the focus may be on Wilde’s razor-sharp wit and Max Webster’s refined comedic staging, a secondary, silent choreography is unfolding behind the scenes – one involving seven cameras, hundreds of scripted shots, and a director whose primary goal is to remain entirely invisible to the viewer.

Matthew Amos, the veteran camera director responsible for distilling the electricity of a West End performance into a digital experience, knows the stakes are high. Having directed around 20 captures for the National Theatre, including The Fifth Step in the West End and the legendary The Lehman Trilogy, Amos views his role as a storyteller who uses lenses instead of just performers.

 “For something like Earnest, we did about 700 shots,” Amos explains, meticulously explaining the lengthy, protracted process involved in making live captures feel organic and kinetic. “On a long Shakespeare, that can easily climb over a thousand. You’re literally going through the script, line by line, saying: ‘Opening camera three, wide shot… now cut to camera one.’ You’ve spent weeks staring at the thing before the camera team even arrives.”

Preparations can last a lot longer than the average viewer might expect – with rehearsal captures being tested in front of the creative team (sound designers, make-up designers, directors and associates all weigh in) before the final filming takes place. This is an essential part of making the experience feel vibrant and fresh. In the case of Earnest, while there was a gap between final capture and cinema release, there wasn’t anywhere near enough time to do any major editing – it was recorded as if broadcast live. Everything had to be pre-planned – you couldn’t fix in post.

Capturing comedy presents a unique set of challenges compared to a standard drama. In a tragedy, the silence can speak for itself; in a Wildean farce, the director must capture the “jubilation in the room” without breaking the play’s rhythm. “The reactions of a live audience can be bizarre,” Amos notes. “One minute they get the jokes, the next they don’t. You’re constantly asking yourself: ‘Am I cutting for the laugh or the reaction to the laugh?’ You have to be part of that energy.”

The logistical “juggling act” cannot be overstated. “You have to look at where the cameras can go initially depending on the stage setup,” Amos says. “There’s a cost implication as well. When you’re putting cameras in the auditorium, you could be buying seats, and that restricts the use of other seats. You have to work out with production how best to spend the money. You don’t want to end up saying, ‘If I move the cameras back, I can afford another one.'” At the same time, the actors have to feel like they’re performing to an audiences, rather than a room packed with lenses.

Amos is a big fan of the National’s stages – wide, expansive auditoria that can make it much easier and less restrictive than other venues.

The visual language of Earnest was heavily influenced by high-fashion photography and a vibrant, saturated colour palette. Amos had to ensure the camera work respected these aesthetics without breaking the theatrical illusion. “Because of the way the set was designed, with that very beautiful sky backdrop, if you cross-shot too much, you’d shoot off the set and see the gaps,” Amos notes. “I have to be very conscious of making sure the shot doesn’t ruin the magic for the person at home. I’m not trying to do anything with the cameras other than tell a story, but you can tell it in a cinematic way.”

Despite a career filming massive music festivals and awards shows, Amos finds theatre the most rewarding– and intense – work of his life. “Theatre is the most intense work that I do, but it’s the most rewarding because the creative process is sort of mine.”

Ultimately, the transition from the auditorium to cinemas with NT Live, to NT at Home’s free global stream on YouTube, represents the core mission of the project: accessibility. “If you’re a 16-year-old living at home, you might not be able to afford a trip to the West End,” Amos says. “But you can watch this performance for free. These shows are now there for posterity. People will look back on this and go, ‘That was an amazing show.’”

The Importance of Being Earnest is available to stream for free on the National Theatre YouTube channel until 19 March. It will then be available to stream on National Theatre at Home.