If you’re anything like me, the arts are an outlet for you. I love going to see a show at the theatre; singing along to a favourite band or artist in a crowded live gig or enjoying a film on the big screen. I spend my holidays scouring museums and galleries in global cities and seeking out culture in all of its forms. Covid-19 and 2020 however, had other ideas about how we should be spending our time. 

Events I had planned were cancelled and everything was moved not only indoors, but into my own, very tiny bricks-and-mortar bubble. I was missing my favourite live shows and events; events that took weeks, months and for some years in the planning (I’m looking at you ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ Tour tickets).

I can only imagine what the artists, performers and staff behind these events were feeling. Not only had their artform and means of expression been cancelled, but like many others across the world, they had lost their main source of income.

Unlike other areas of unemployment and potential financial crises during the pandemic, the arts were one of the very last areas to be granted any funding or support, with some only recently receiving financial aid from grants and emergency funding avenues. It’s a good job then, that there were charities available to support these workers. But a charity is only as good as it’s benefactors and donations which is where we, the Great British and very bored public, came in.

One of the best ways to ensure support and donations, is surely to give the British public some semblance of these live events that they were unable to attend, in their own home. Cameron Mackintosh did just this, with one of the most successful and best loved stage musicals to have graced the West End now available as a digital download.

Chances are that, even if you have never seen ‘Les Misérables’ you’ve heard of it or even know some key points of the story. Set in Revolutionary France, it follows the story of five key characters: Jean Valjean; Fantine; Cosette; Javier and Marcus; explaining how they are intrinsically linked not only to each other but to the plight of France at this time. ‘Les Misérables: The Staged Concert’ is a recording of the sell-out production of the same name which took place last year. 

Mackintosh has released this for download on various platforms in order to raise money for three charities at this difficult time. The charities benefitting from downloads are:

-Acting For Others

-The Musicians Union Coronavirus Hardship Fund

-Captain Tom Moore’s Walk for the NHS Fund

Acting For Others is an umbrella charity that provides financial and emotional support for all theatre workers in times of need through its 14 member charities. It has so far raised over £600,000 during the COVID pandemic. 

The Musicians Union provides support for musicians globally, in terms of finances, legal support and negotiations. Their hardship fund allows musicians to apply for limited emergency funds during the Coronavirus pandemic. 

Captain Tom Moore’s Walk for the NHS fund is now linked to the NHS Charities Together Fund, a collection of over 230 charities across the UK and currently focusing on supporting staff and volunteers caring for COVID-19 patients. Each charity has avenues for donations on their individual websites but they are brought together to share the donations from the download. 

Priced at £9.99, the show is available to download through Sky Store; or through Amazon and iTunes via a link on the Les Misérables official website . £5 from every download is split amongst the three charities, with Cameron Mackintosh launching the fund with a £100,000 donation from his charity the Mackintosh Foundation. 

Those who purchase the show also have further opportunities to donate. In addition, there is also a specially created mini-documentary entitled ‘Bringing It Home’ which features footage of the stars and creators in their own homes discussing their experiences.  

The show has been available to download in the UK and Australia from 20th April, with North America being able to access it from 4th August. On the show’s official website, a thank you message from Cameron Mackintosh includes the line:

“In these extraordinary times we hope that fans and everyone who loves the theatre will be reminded of how special a theatrical experience can be, going to the very heart of our British culture, which makes our nation so special and unique.”

The show definitely does this. Featuring big names in roles they are well known for; such as Alfie Boe as Jean Valjean and Michael Ball as Javert; the show is a delight not only for fans of the long running musical, but also of these stars in their own rights. The show itself is always powerful and rousing- whether you believe that is down to the story; the songs; each actor’s performance or a combination of all three is an entirely personal opinion but all fans agree that they are left emotionally exhausted after a viewing. 

This is not lost in the download version, with the only real criticism being that the way it has had to be staged has had some limitations on how the actors interact with one another. The concert style staging does however, allow even avid fans to see the show in a new light and I think it creates a yearning to see the show live, on stage, as it should be performed. 

Mackintosh has definitely achieved his goal in making us all long for the experience of the theatre. It is for these reasons that I believe the show will be a success in benefitting the charities it is supporting. If you’re a long-term fan, you’ll appreciate this new experience and the nuances it brings. 

If you’ve never seen it before or aren’t sure whether it’s for you, the £10 price tag isn’t a huge loss if you hate it (compared to say the average theatre ticket price of around £40).  It’s also a lot easier to ‘switch off’ a digital version if it really isn’t for you, than it is to get out of your central seat in the stalls during a 2hr and 50min production at the Sondheim Theatre.

However, there’s always a catch and with this production it’s this: the donations from the downloads are only being granted for a certain number of downloads. On the download page of the official website, there is a small disclaimer at the bottom of the information to state this. In the UK, once 80,000 downloads have been reached, the charitable donation information will be removed from the website and an update will be given as to the total raised. 

Now, I’m no Maths genius, but surely 80,000 downloads would give a total donation amount of £400,000; meaning each charity would benefit from a total of £133,333 and some change. Surely then, this event should be re-branded as a ‘limited download’ event, where only that number of downloads are available. 

The National Theatre have been screening their shows for months during the pandemic, free to all, with a website where donations can be made should patrons wish to do so. Our own Royal Exchange in Manchester has asked those with tickets for cancelled shows to either keep their money on a retainer for once the theatre re-opens or, if you feel able to do so, to donate the money to the theatre in order to keep them afloat during the pandemic. 

I’ve watched live stream Drag shows during the pandemic, at a reduced ticket price with limited sales numbers where all of the proceeds go to the charitable causes they are supporting. With some many ways to ask the public for support, it does make me wonder why Mackintosh has decided that there is a ‘cap’ on the benevolence of this venture.

 Do those in the NHS and arts industry only require a certain amount of kindness offered their way during the pandemic? Does Mackintosh need the profits from the other downloads? I’m not sure, and although I love the show itself and the idea, it did make me feel a little uncertain as to whether I’d have just been better off giving a donation individually to each of the charities involved.

If you’d like to donate to any of the charities discussed, you can do so on the following websites:

·       Acting for Others: https://www.actingforothers.co.uk/donate

·       Musicians Union: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/mucoronavirushardshipfund

·       NHS Charities Together: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/giving/NHSCharitiesCOVID19/

Written by: Jenna Tomlinson

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