Below is a list of fifteen plays that that are streaming now or will be available in the next couple of weeks. You’ll find a wide variety – from stage classics filmed in high definition, to independent productions recorded over Zoom. Many have a link for donations, so please consider giving some cash if you can spare it.
Terence Rattigan’s post-war drama stars Helen McCrory. After an attempted suicide, the story of a woman’s tempestuous affair and marital breakdown begins to emerge. Available until Thursday 16 July at 7pm. Then it’s Peter Shaffer’s classic about the composer Salieri and his bitter rivalry with some upstart named Mozart.
You have until Friday 17 July to be whisked off to the left bank of the Seine for Puccini’s ever popular work, which was the inspiration for Rent. After that, it’s Charles-François Gounod’s retelling of the legend of the philosopher who made a pact with a demon.
Based on Chris Nickson’s novel, this story of murder, deception and love is set in Chesterfield during the Black Death. A developmental reading of a musical in the making, it was produced by remote collaboration. It’s streaming live on Friday 17 July and Saturday 18 July at 7pm.
An adaptation of an acclaimed stage show, Institute is part of the Beeb’s Culture in Quarantine collection. The staff become the patients in a shadowy institution where everyone must try to create order from emotional chaos. You can watch on BBC Four this Sunday 19 July and it will be on iPlayer thereafter.
Inspired by Herman Melville’s novella, Benjamin Britten’s opera centres on a navy recruit who is falsely accused of murder and sentenced to hang. Available until Sunday 19 July at 5pm. Next is Rossini’s famous work, which is considered by many to be the best comic opera of all time.
From acclaimed TV and theatre writer Karen Cogan, this slice-of-life solo show centres on the many discomforts of a young woman at her best friend’s funeral. Part of the venue’s Homemakers Series, it was produced in association with the RADA Festival. Tickets are ‘Pay What You Can’.
An original work by the documentary-theatre duo behind The Exonerated, this new piece was based on interviews with medical first responders during the pandemic. Jessica Blank directs the play, which features Star Trek’s Alison Pill in a supporting role. The original score is by songwriter Aimee Mann.
London, 1913. A neglected spouse realises she must finally escape her unhappy life but finds that without money and connections, breaking free isn’t easy. Written at the height of the Suffragette movement, the play, which premiered in Manchester, has been compared to works by Ibsen.
Composer Sergey Prokofiev’s adaptation of the immortal story features the ominous Montagues and Capulets. This take on the ballet was choreographed by Kenneth MacMillan. With its sensual Balcony Pas de deux, the show has been hugely popular since it premiered in 1965. Available until Thursday 23 July.
To create an innovative audio work, performing arts students in South Wales visited a local care home. The residents shared their reminiscences, half-forgotten stories and anecdotes, which were woven together to create a poignant drama. Performed by the young students, it offers a glimpse into the past.
A collection of eight inter-connected monologues, the series is subtitled A Windrush Chronicle. So, naturally it centres on Brits of Caribbean heritage. Some well-known faces, including Vinette Robinson and Lenny Henry, reveal the hopes, desires, and shattered dreams of four generations of a fictionalised family.
Created specifically to counter the challenges of the COVID crisis, this American company presents a live reading of Michelle Tyrene Johnson’s drama. A white police officer seeks legal counsel after killing an unarmed black youngster. The cast is made up of recent theatre graduates.
This channel features readings of Shakespeare’s plays, performed by socially distanced actors. Throughout the lockdown, they have been working their way through all the great man’s works, even the problematic ones. You can watch new readings live, every Wednesday at 7pm. The next is Much Ado About Nothing.
The New York Philharmonic presents a staged production of the famous musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein. The former rated it his favourite of all his works, and Time Magazine went further, calling it “the best musical of the 20th Century”. Available until Tuesday 8 Septemeber.
- Words:
- A. James Simpkin
- Published on:
- Mon 13 Jul 2020
It’s your last chance to see this satirical look at the dark side of the entertainment industry. In a top London recording studio, Cat, a young songwriter, goes head-to-head with the bigwigs to fight for ownership of a hit song. Available until Tuesday 14 July at 7pm.