Promotional material for the 2nd International Theatre Live Festival Photo: Courtesy of ATW

The second International Theatre Live Festival, hosted by ATW Culture and Broadway Cinematheque in China, kicked off in Beijing with a premiere screening of Julius Caesar staged by the National Theatre Live (NTL) on Friday.

The two-month-long festival, which brings recordings of live performances to cinemas, will also bring performances by the Royal Shakespeare Company's Live from Stratford-upon-Avon, Globe on Screen and Stage Russia HD to cinemas in  Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hangzhou and Chongqing.

In addition to famous stars such as Julius Caesar's Ben Whishaw and Michelle Fairley, the festival will also see Benedict Cumberbatch perform in Hamlet, Imelda Staunton and Conleth Hill star in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Antony Sher in William Shakespeare's classic King Lear.

According to Li Congzhou from ATW Culture, the advantage of the festival is that it is able to bring high quality content to a broader audience so that the public has the chance to learn about fall in love with this art form.

The festival is scheduled to end on September 23.