London at home: theatre shows available to stream
The entertainment industry might be on hold for the moment, but there’s still ways to bring the theatre to your living room. With our guide, you can still enjoy a range of shows while we’re all still in lockdown.
Shakespeare’s Globe
Image: Shakespeare’s Globe
Between the years of 1592-93, The Globe was closed due to an outbreak of the plague. Although The Globe is currently closed again, fortunately this time around, you can still watch a selection of Shakespeare’s plays. Until Sunday 17th May, the 2018 production of The Two Noble Kinsmen is being streamed on The Globe’s YouTube channel. Later on in May, you’ll have the opportunity to watch Macbeth and The Winter’s Tale.
Find out more about what’s on here.
A Doll’s House
Tune into the Lyric Hammersmith’s YouTube channel on 20 May to watch Henrik Ibsen’s play, A Doll’s House. The three-act play covers the collapse of a marriage between Nora and Torvald Helmer after the revelation that Nora secretly took out an illegal loan in order to save her husband’s life.
Visit the Lyric’s website to find out more.
A Streetcar Named Desire
Sex Education might be over for another series but there are still ways that you can watch Gillian Anderson on screen. From 21st to 28th May, The National Theatre will be streaming Tennessee Williams’ play, A Streetcar Named Desire. Set in New Orleans in 1947, the play centres around Stella and Blanche Dubois and Stanley, Stella’s husband. When Blanche comes to stay with the couple, problems arise in an already troubled marriage.
You can watch the play on the National’s YouTube channel here.
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Show Must Go On
Take a break from hard hitting theatre and enjoy some light-hearted relief with one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musicals. Every Friday at 7pm, a new musical will be streamed on YouTube for you to sing along to. This week its CATS (don’t worry, the Webber original, not the horrendous remake from last year!). Each show is available for 48 hours so even if you’ve got your weekly Zoom quiz scheduled for Friday evening, you can still watch the show over the weekend.
You can access the YouTube channel here.
Fleabag
Image: Soho Theatre
Remember all those tweets/Facebook posts you did to try and win extra tickets to Fleabag? No? Okay, just me. Fortunately, there’s now an easier way to watch the production. The Soho Theatre is offering you the chance to watch Fleabag for just £4 and all proceeds go to charity.
Get your Fleabag fix by visiting the Soho Theatre’s website.
Sea Wall
After you’ve had your fill of Fleabag you might find yourself missing the Hot Priest. Catch Andrew Scott in the 2012 one man show, Sea Wall, a play about a man coming to terms with loss. It’s only 30 minutes so definitely one you can fit into your lunch break!
You can stream the show until 18 May here.
Jane Eyre
With all the extra time on our hands, now’s the best time to start powering through the classics. However, if you’re not a reader then you can cheat a bit by watching the Blackeyed Theatre’s production of Jane Eyre. Charlotte Bronte’s novel follows the story of Jane, an orphan who is abused by her aunt and cousin in childhood but goes on to become a governess for Edward Rochester, a cold man with an air of mystery.
You can watch the full production on the Blackeyed Theatre’s YouTube channel here.
Wise Children
Image: Wise Children
Log onto the BBC iPlayer to catch Emma Rice’s adaptation of Angela Carter’s, Wise Children. Carter’s final novel explores the themes of family, illegitimacy and incest through the characters of Dora and Nora Chance, two identical twin sisters. The story takes place on their 75th birthday as they recall memories from their childhood. If you’re into magical realism, this one is not to be missed!
You can find the adaptation here.
The entertainment industry is experiencing a difficult time with lockdown and social distancing rules in place. However, any support you can offer is massively appreciated and will contribute to keeping the industry alive.
Words by Emma Chadwick
