While we are all at home for the foreseeable future, cultural centres around the world, from local theatres to national stages, have also had to shut their doors until further notice. Stage lights will not be lit for a very long time, and so these incredible institutions are having to find other ways to keep a passion for theatre, and their stream of income, alive. Thanks to the digital age of theatre, many major theatres have been recording their performances for a long time now, and so we have been blessed with the release of many of these recordings for free from our sofas.   

The National Theatre is streaming a new show every Thursday at 7 pm on Youtube, and each performance is available for a week before a new one is released. Andrew Lloyd Weber’s shows are running on a similar schedule, with a new full-scale musical released on Youtube every Friday and available for 48 hours. Meanwhile, The Globe is releasing many Shakespearean classics on Youtube and leaving them available for a whopping two weeks.    

I’m sure that one of these will have popped up as an ad on your socials at some point in the past 2 months, however, there are plenty of other theatres and companies with some great work also available online during this strange time. Although many of these are available for free, if you are able, they all welcome donations as well so that, hopefully, we can see all them reopen when this is all over and done with.   

Sadler’s Wells  

https://www.sadlerswells.com/whats-on/2020/sadlers-wells-digital-stage/  

The creative centre where disciplines and nations meet, Sadler’s Wells is bringing work from all over the world to its digital stage during lockdown. With works from companies such as Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan and female lead contemporary company Ballet Lorent, their selection will be sure to entertain and educate during this period. There are even workshops and interviews available from a variety of fascinating companies, leaving you with plenty to keep you entertained, all for free, from this world-class venue.   

Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures  

https://new-adventures.net/).  

The legendary ballet choreographer Matthew Bourne has made a selection of his most famous works available online, for the first time. Bourne has made his name by experimenting with the role of gender in ballet, producing, most famously, his all-male Swan Lake, which is one of the performances now available through the New Adventures website. These enthralling dance performances, including Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella and The Car Man, can be bought for £9.99 or rented for £5.99.  

Southwark Playhouse  

https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/streaming/  

A venue that is known for presenting new work and riffs on old classics, The Southwark Playhouse has some fantastic shows available to stream for free from their website. My personal favourite available is Bound, an insightful play from Jessie Briton about the final voyage of six Devonshire trawlermen. If you are looking for something a bit more light-hearted, go for Wasted, a rock-documentary style musical about the Bronte sisters.   

Wise Children on Iplayer  

If you are blessed with a TV licence then another fantastic place to find live recordings right now is good old BBC IPlayer. Currently available is the feminist masterpiece Wise Children, based on the book by Angela Carter and produced by the power-house of twenty-first-century theatre that is Emma Rice. A surreal but dazzling story of two twins who pursue a career as showgirls, this performance from 2019 was regarded highly by critics and audiences alike, and with its decadent set and riotous narrative, this is the perfect piece of escapism you may be looking for.    

Deafinitely Theatre  

https://www.deafinitelytheatre.co.uk/Pages/Category/deafinitely-digital)  

As the name would suggest, Deafinitely Theatre is a fantastic company working to make theatre accessible for all, with a focus on incorporating BSL into their performances for the deaf community. In their new season, Deafinitely Digital, the company are releasing several of their performances on their website for a few weeks at a time. For the month of May Grounded will be available on their site, the unexpected journey of a fighter pilot who falls pregnant, and Contractions will become available in June, a dark comedy about boundaries and ethics in the workplace.  

Play, Pie & a Pint  

https://playpiepint.com/mini-virtual-season-from-the-archives/  

The pride and joy of Glasgow’s rich theatre scene, Play, Pie & a Pint is taking its longest hiatus since it began in 2004. Producing 38 new plays per year, PP & P is famous for its unique style of performance, where a new work always comes with a pint and pie. Have you ever heard of anything more Scottish? In light of current events the company are releasing a selection of their best-received previous works on Youtube, and each will be available for a week. Head to their website for some whole-heartedly Scottish entertainment, and why not hail the tradition and accompany one of these quirky plays with a pint (or lockdown beverage of your choice).