5 Ways to Watch Theatre at Home


I don’t know about you, but I am thoroughly enjoying all of the media being made available for people to view from home at the moment: I consider it to be one of the very few highlights of the world’s current circumstances. There is something comforting in knowing that you are one of hundreds of thousands of people coming together to watch a performance from your home, snack in hand.


From ballet to Shakespeare to opera, there is more than enough to keep us all entertained (and for those of us sensitive to sensory input, it is rather nice to be able to adjust the volume whenever a particularly exuberant musical number begins). So, I have compiled below a list of five places where you can spend a night at the theatre without, well, the physical stress of actually going to the theatre!

Happy watching…

THE SHOWS MUST GO ON


Every week Andrew Lloyd Webber is making available one of his musicals to stream on YouTube. They go live on Friday at 7pm GMT, and how long they remain available depends on your region (generally around 24-48 hours). Last week was The Phantom of the Opera and it was excellent; I thoroughly enjoyed watching it curled up on the sofa with my family. The performances are free to stream, although they do have facilities for you to make a donation to places like The Actors Fund (US) or Acting for Others (UK), if you are able. 


Every Thursday at 7pm GMT the National Theatre are premiering a performance on YouTube, which is available for a week. Twelfth Night is currently showing, with Frankenstein starring Benedict Cumberbatch coming up next. You can donate to the National Theatre here.

THE GLOBE

Every two weeks The Globe are uploading one of their performances to YouTube, which is available for fourteen days (and each performance also has a pre-show talk which you can listen to if, like me, you can never get enough of Shakespeare). I have my fingers crossed that a certain “Scottish play” may make an appearance. You can also rent and purchase various performances on Globe Player and donate to them here.

Every day The Met are making available one of their operas to view via their website and app, for free. Click here for their week-by-week programme. They go live at 11.30pm GMT. They are also doing a weekly 'Student Stream' aimed at younger audiences, which you can find here,  along with some educational material. They are also taking donations.
If you’re looking for something a little different, The Royal Opera House are streaming performances by The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet. They are made available on Fridays at 7pm GMT here. You can donate to them here.

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