We also realise that, whilst theatre is a lot of our jobs, it’s also our passion and by having the venues closed, this means we’re unable to engage with a world that we all love. With that in mind, we have put together a list of venues/online platforms that are currently streaming their shows online. Unlike other lists currently out there, all of these shows are entirely free to watch and do not require you to sign up to any sort of subscription.
In March, every single theatre in the UK was ordered to close as part of the government’s measures to help fight the spread of COVID-19. It’s a challenging time for all of us who work in the industry and we encourage everyone to look out for one another and stay in contact wherever possible and safe to do so.
We hope you enjoy the below. In the meantime, stay safe and we look forward to seeing you all and working with you again hopefully in the not so distant future.
Hampstead Theatre
Hampstead Theatre has announced that, in collaboration with the Mono, it will re-release over 100 recordings will feature in The Monologue Library on The Mono Box’s website
National Theatre
From Thursday 2 April, a number of productions previously screened in cinemas globally as a part of National Theatre Live have been made available to watch for free. A new production is screened every Thursday at 7.00pm UK time and is then available on demand for seven days on the NT’s YouTube channel.
Starting 14 May, Innua Ellams‘ acclaimed Barber Shop Chronicles will be available on YouTube until 21 May. A Street Car Named Desire featuring Gillian Anderson from 21 May to 28 May, This House by James Graham from 28 May until 4 June.
Further titles are to be announced on a weekly basis. Click here to find out more.
Royal Court Theatre
The award-winning play Cyprus Avenue will be streaming until 31 May.
David Ireland’s show will be available for free via the Royal Court’s and The Space’s website, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages. This will be the first time the film can be seen internationally.
Cyprus Avenue tells the story of a father who experiences a psychotic episode and believes his five week-old granddaughter is the reincarnation of Gerry Adams. It was awarded Best New Play at the Irish Times Theatre Awards and the James Tait Black Prize for Drama in 2017, with Rea taking the prize for Best Actor at the Irish Times Theatre Awards in the same year.
Royal Albert Home
Watch performances from the Royal Albert Hall, in their new series ‘Royal Albert Home’. The Royal Albert Home presents: 16 May Opera for Kids, 17 May Sea Shambles, 19 May Gabriela Montero, 21 May Scouting for Girls and 29 May Imogen Heap.
More performances to be announced and past performances from 9 April onwards available on the archive. Tune into Royal Albert Home here.
CURVE Theatre, Leicester
An archive recording of Curve Leicester’s Made at Curve and Theatre Royal Bath co-production of Joe Orton’s contemporary classic, What The Butler Saw
Directed by the venue’s artistic director Nikolai Foster, the show is Joe Orton’s final play. It was performed 50 years since the death of the celebrated Leicester playwright.
Globe Theatre
The Globe has announced that six of its previous productions will be available to watch for free on its on-demand service Globe Player over the next few weeks.
The six productions, Hamlet (2018), Romeo & Juliet (2009), The Winter’s Tale (2018), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2013), The Two Noble Kinsmen (2018) and The Merry Wives of Windsor (2019) will be streaming on a rotating basis, with each of them available for two weeks. This will be from from 6th April onwards.
In addition, the platform will also be making its selection of ‘Complete Walk’ films available at no cost — a series of 37 10-minute films that were released in 2016 to mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.
Pentabus Theatre Company
Pentabus Theatre has announced it will release recordings of past shows on its website and social media channels for free, in response to the coronavirus crisis.
Pentabus Theatre has release the following: Here I Belong by Matt Hartley, Crossings by Deirdre Kinahan and Each Slow Dusk by Rory Mullarkey,Wolves are Coming for You by Joel Horwood, The Tale of Little Bevan by Robert Alan Evans and As the Crow Flies by Hattie Naylor. The recordings will be accompanied by social media Q&As with cast and creative teams from the productions.
The Show Must Go Online
An initiative by Robert Myles, The Show Must Go Online is a weekly reading of the complete works of Shakespeare by a global cast. It is available on YouTube. Click here to watch.
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House has started the #OurHouseToYourHouse initiative, where they are offering a free programme of curated online broadcasts. A new performance is released every Friday at 7pm and is available for a month on average. On 24 April there will be a stream of Benjamin Britten’s Gloriana, Christopher Wheeldon’s The Winter’s Tale on 1 May. More broadcasts to be announced.
The Shows Must Go On!
Andrew Lloyd Webber is streaming his works on the The Shows Must Go On! YouTube channel with a new show every Friday, which is available for 48 hours. New performances are announced on a week by week basis.
Click here to visit The Shows Must Go On! Channel
Southwark Playhouse
Today, Southwark Playhouse has announced their new free streaming service on their website. The service has launched with Jesse Briton’s Bound, Adam Lenson’s Wasted, Shakespeare’s Twelth Night and Philip Ridley’s The Beast Will Rise – a series of monologues which were due to premiere in April from The Beast of the Blue. New content will be added fortnightly.
National Theatre Quiz
On 25 May, join hosts Imelda Staunton, Jim Carter, Lucian Msamati, Meera Syal, Simon Callow, Tamsin Greig and Jessie Buckley for questions on topics including Maths, Science and Nature, Literature and Theatre. The quizzes will be streamed live on Facebook and YouTube, so make sure you subscribe to these, so you can follow along from home. More details here.
From Secret Cinema to Secret Sofa
The Secret Cinema is bringing its franchise to the comfort of your home. They are hosting a weekly online cinema club with a different movie every week, to join other film fanatics online you can subscribe here.