Will Theatre Streaming Become A Living Room Mainstay?
With coronavirus closing business doors all over the place, so many things are now being done from the comfort of our own home and I am here for it. (Seriously. This pandemic has done some great things. I personally believe that people should be legally required to stay two metres away from me on buses forever.)
But of course, some of the changes have been harder to swallow than others - particularly for those of us who feel most at home in theatre seats. The ambience is hard to replicate and bring to our couches. And it isn’t for a lack of trying, either! Many producers have given us access to some of their best work so we can enjoy pantomime without even putting on underwear. Again, I am here for it.Is this sustainable, though? I’m actually in two minds.
Let’s think of football. Not everybody can get to the best matches, so we watch from home. It is accessible, easy and thoroughly enjoyable to sit sipping lager with our loved ones cheering for our team.Why would this not be feasible for the theatre, then? To sit alone in bed streaming the latest plays?
I’m all for it, in theory! An unashamedly lazy girl, I would do anything to avoid having to get out of bed and actually leave the house. But now imagine that same football stadium, except now it is empty apart from the players. Without the crowds to cheer on the team, I’m sure they would be very demoralised. And the viewer at home, no longer hyped up by anthems and chants, would be bored too.
The game would slowly deteriorate. Theatre is no different. While a viewer might enjoy it from home, at whichever time suits them best...this is simply not how it should be experienced and the actors themselves deserve a thriving crowd to applaud them after their pieces.
This is all without even beginning to consider how their money would be earned. It would be a drastic change. Do I think this is sustainable, then? Not exactly. But I urge you to enjoy this freedom to appreciate art from your sofa while it lasts. I’m sure you have already found some resources of your own, but here are our picks for some must-see shows to watch from home.
THE SHOWS MUST GO ON
A big shout is definitely needed for Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber - you most likely know him from Cats, Phantom of the Opera, or Evita. But further than gifting us with such timeless pieces as above, he has now started the motion aptly named as ‘The Shows Must Go On’. At 7pm each Friday he is releasing a musical to be streamed for 48 hours on his Youtube channel here.
He started with his 2000 adaptation of Joseph and the Amazing Technicoloured Dreamcoat, and has also since streamed Jesus Christ Superstar; we are prepared for much more exciting content to come so this is definitely one for the musical lovers.
THE NATIONAL THEATRE
The National Theatre has definitely earned some brownie points as they have released their NT live vault filled with show footage. This means that you can stream huge shows such as Bryony Lavery’s adaptation of Treasure Island and Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night starring Tasmin Greig. The Theatre has promised us more shows as the weeks go by, and they will be announced soon, viewable here.
Pssst, you can also view our very own review of Treasure Island here!
THE ROYAL COURT THEATRE
The Royal Court Theatre is streaming the award-winning Cyprus Avenue, starring Stephen Rea and directed by Vicky Featherstone which mixes live-action with previously filmed footage to give us the mixed media fix that we are craving in these troubled times. This black comedy will certainly have you laughing and crying and is perfect if you enjoy some escapism.
This is the only content available as of yet, and you can catch up with it here.
DEAFINITELY THEATRE
Deafiently Theatre are streaming three shows over the coming months, available both in BSL and spoken English. Start with their Shakespeare’s Globe’s 2012 co-production of Love’s Labour’s Lost, chase this in May with their production of George Brant’s Grounded and finish off with Mike Barlett’s Contractions in June. You definitely won’t get bored.
“Deafientely Theatre is thrilled to make digitally available three of our recent plays to give audiences a chance to see or revisit acclaimed bilingual productions. Each will be available for a month free on our YouTube channel.”
SADLER WELLS DIGITAL STAGE
Finally for our performance pocket-guide is Sadler Wells Digital Stage who are not only offering streamed versions of their performances but also virtual workshops for all generations so even while stuck at home you can get your weekly dose of soul-revitalising dance.
Watch The Thread now, a piece inspired by ancient mythology and set to explosive electronic music, exploring changing forms of traditional Greek dance - it can be found here.
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Written by Jasmine Lowen, thanks to the knowledge curated by Samantha-Theresa.