Below, you’ll find links to theatrical shows that you can enjoy at home. There’s an eclectic mix of old and new, audio and video. Many are free to watch – but if you have any cash to spare, please consider donating to the theatre venue or company.
This feature-length dance work comes from the internationally renowned choreographer Hofesh Shechter. Featuring a large ensemble of performers and a live band, it’s part theatre show, part gig. Darkly atmospheric, it aims to evoke a world at odds with itself. Available until Thursday.
The newly relaunched venue is wasting no time in getting in on the digital act. From Thursday to Sunday, they are live streaming this Shakespeare adaptation over Zoom. The ensemble comedy has been adapted for a cast of just six. Tickets are £20.
Why be a passive observer of theatre when you can join in with a script readthrough? Hope Mill Theatre’s next playreading event is on Friday 25 September, 11am – 1pm. Upon booking, you’ll receive a copy of the script and a Zoom link. Tickets are ‘Pay What You Feel’.
The Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, recently created a permanent ‘digital stage’ and will present an online programme throughout the rest of the year. Standout shows include John Morton classic Denouement, presented as an audio rehearsed reading. Available until Sunday. Tickets are free or by donation.
Full-scale but fast-paced, this adaptation from 2019 comes in at just over 90 minutes. It was produced with school students and families in mind, but it’s likely to be a fun watch for more seasoned Shakespeare fans, too. Available from next Monday.
A UK premiere, #txtshow is an immersive multiscreen performance taking place over Zoom. A mysterious character named “txt” recites the script, which is written anonymously in real-time by the audience members themselves. Streaming on various dates from Thursday 1 Oct. Tickets are free.
Filmed in front of a Black Lives Matter mural in Brooklyn, several actors – including The Wire’s Wendell Pierce – read a dozen stories about black people and the police. The show includes live classical music, including an overture by a quartet from the New York Philharmonic.
From Monday 5 Oct, you can stream theatrical readings of six deliciously gruesome tales – all from the book by Philip Pullman. Aimed at ages 8-12, these classic fairy stories, distilled through centuries of storytelling, are honed for the next generation to discover anew.
Bellini’s final work is a sweeping drama set during the English Civil War. A passionate young couple find themselves caught up in the conflict between the Royalists and Puritans. Entangled in deception and madness, will their love prevail? Available until Fri 9 Oct.
An audio work to experience on your own or with others. This piece questions how we can live under the COVID threat and stay well, both mentally and physically. It features contributions from creatives and medical professionals. Tickets are ‘Pay What You Can’.
Commissioned for this year’s Edinburgh Festival, the piece was rehearsed and performed by the full company under social distancing guidelines. A short work, it features a modern, interpretive style of dance. The masked performers and empty theatre seats add to the atmosphere.
Another in the Beeb’s ‘Filmed in Lockdown’ series, it centres on two women (one black, one white) who move into a tiny flat together. Soon, the realities of their different backgrounds come into view. This short musical story is told through poetry and beatboxing.
Benjamin Britten’s chamber piece is an adaptation of Henry James’ chilling novella. In a remote country house, a governess fights to protect two orphaned children from menacing spirits. One of the most highly regarded English operas, it mixes classical and modernist musical forms.
- Words:
- A. James Simpkin
- Published on:
- Tue 22 Sep 2020
Streaming live at 7.30pm on Tuesday 22 September, Romantics Anonymous is a quirky new musical. Angélique and Jean-René both have social anxiety, and they work together in a struggling chocolate factory. Tender and funny, the story follows the duo as their awkward love affair unfolds. Tickets are £20.