More than 80,000 admissions, £1m for first ‘live from Stratford-Upon-Avon’ screenings.

Alternative content continues to impress at the UK box office, with the Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) Richard II attracting 60,000 admissions from a whopping 364 screens across the UK last night (Wednesday 3).

Last night’s performance combined with 20,000 advance bookings for follow-up screenings have generated more than £1m in box office receipts, according to distributor Picturehouse Entertainment.

Doctor Who star David Tennant plays the eponymous king in Shakespeare’s classic drama directed by Gregory Doran.

The production was filmed using multiple cameras around the stage and auditorium, with John Wyver as producer.

Internationally, the production was broadcast live across Northern Europe (Germany, Austria, Sweden), Ireland, Canada and Malta last night with six further countries - US, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Russia - screening the production over the next two months.

“We are looking forward to building on this success with our next three productions: Henry IV parts 1 and 2 and The Two Gentlemen of Verona coming to cinemas in 2014,” said Sara Aspley, RSC director of commercial services