Since the lockdown began in March the theatre industry has experienced many lows including many redundancies, theatres falling into administration and an ‘it’s a little too late’ £1.57bn support package from the Government. However, one high that we have had from lockdown is the accessibility to theatre at home.
Both the National Theatre Live and RSC have shared previously recorded productions on YouTube and BBC iPlayer respectively, with over 200,000 people watching One Man, Two
Guvnors live on 2nd April. This inspired more venues and companies to share their productions with donation requests shared alongside intervals. This begs the question; how many people are actually donating as they watch?
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, DryWrite, Soho Theatre and Annapurna Theatre, in partnership with National Theatre Live in London and Amazon Prime Video charged only £4 for a 48 hour download of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s hugely successful Fleabag. The money was raised for National Emergencies Trust (NET) Coronavirus Appeal and NHS Charities Together, but more importantly for Acting for Others and the Fleabag Support Fund, where the money has gone directly to those working in theatre. The Fleabag Support Fund has given away over 135 grants, totalling over £80,000 to those who have applied for help. This is an incredible achievement and they are still accepting additional donations at this GoFundMe.
The success in donations from some screened productions has helped some industry production staff and creatives, but are we really enjoying watching theatre at home?
For many, the enjoyment of theatre comes from its liveness and watching a recorded version of a production takes away that element completely. Although there is an excitement to see close up shots of Gillian Anderson’s Blanche DuBois, it is not the medium in which the performance was directed, therefore we miss the reactions of other actors on stage, which in many cases can be the highlight of the performance. There is a virtual and exaggerated distance between you as an audience member and the performers on stage, which does not exist in a theatre, again losing the element of liveness. Also, you can pause the production for toilet and tea breaks whenever you wish, stopping the production at moments that feel inappropriate.
More recently we have seen new productions being made by theatre companies during lockdown. They are again being streamed via online platforms, but there is something thrilling about something new and something created by social distancing. I am yet to watch Birdsong by Original Theatre Company, but plan to do so this weekend as they have extended their performance dates. Given 5 stars and tipped the “best online play of lockdown” by the Telegraph, it is available here from 19:00 on Thursday 16th July until almost midnight on Sunday 19th July for £15.
Also, Rhiannon Faith Company were due to run DROWNTOWN at the Barbican followed by a UK Tour which was sadly cancelled due to Covid-19. Using the time they would have been in rehearsals and performances, the company have made a 15 minute film titled DROWNTOWN LOCKDOWN, as a direct response to the pandemic and as a digital prologue to DROWNTOWN. The themes of the original production include isolation and failed support systems, which for some has been their experience of lockdown. It premiered on Thursday 9th July but is available here.
The time that theatres and companies have now is extremely precious and I implore them to use it wisely. Yes, continue to stream recorded productions and ask for donations, but also work on your company policies on diversity and inclusivity. Develop and nurture connections new and old. Make new work.
I have and will continue to watch theatre at home but long for the day when I am actually sat in a theatre with actors, dancers and musicians on a stage in front of me.
What is your opinion on theatre at home?
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