THE JAR (The New Theatre Dublin/Scenesaver)***

 

By Aashiq

Link: https://www.scenesaver.co.uk/production/the-jar 

Available until:

Content warning: Language, 15+

You know, this is such a good idea? It almost makes me want my husband to cheat on me so I can do it to him. I really don’t think he’d like it. But he hasn’t done anything to deserve it yet. He did get a bit moody about where I left my hairspray (how was I meant to know he was going to trip over it? I mean, it was right in the middle of the floor, it could hardly have been more visible), but this method of revenge needs a much more serious crime.

TOLL BOOTH (Vimeo)*****

 

By Cal

Link: https://vimeo.com/326145983 

Available until: Unknown

Toll Booth is an award-winning film which isn’t strictly theatre, but I found it through a streaming site so that’s good enough for me. More than good enough.

Terry has a new job working in a toll booth. He’s worked in a toll booth before so he knows what it’s all about. He’s never worked in a toll booth with scary rumours before, but as long as they are just rumours, there’s really no need to worry… is there?

DO YOU LOVE ME YET? (Theatr Clwyd/Oxford Playhouse/TORCH/Bristol Old Vic)***

 

By Emma

Link: https://www.theatrclwyd.com/event/do-you-love-me-ye

Available until: Livestream on Friday 30^th April at 7.30pm, available for at least three hours after the broadcast.

Do You Love Me Yet? is a really lovely idea and it’s a shame there are only two livestreams. I hope they’ll do more in the future, but the theatres involved in this will probably be too busy doing live shows for audiences. Which is definitely a good thing.

SUGAR (Covid-19 Monologues/Elysium Theatre Company)*****

 

By Dave

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T3Cu18dqK4

Available until: Unknown

The final monologue in Elysium Theatre’s first series of Covid-19 Monologues is the longest of the four. But it’s well worth listening to every word.

It’s 1721 and we’re in Bristol. The Reverend Harcourt is asleep but he hears a knocking on his door. It won’t go away. His wife still seems to be asleep and Harcourt probably wishes he was too but when you’re a reverend there are obligations.

CELLS (Metta Theatre/Royal & Derngate/Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch/Stephen Joseph Theatre)****

  

By Louise

Link to full film version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjn2czM5xow

Link to playlist of individual episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gwv0Lhba5s&list=PLTefCSIo0OJcnXHichpkIUbeHdbu9__ft

Available until: Unknown

Cells was originally shown in a series of seven episodes. The longest is six minutes and twenty-three seconds and the shortest is three minutes and thirty-nine seconds. One episode was uploaded every day for a week.

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS/MAHAGONNY SONGSPIEL (Royal Opera)***

  

By Cal

Link: https://stream.roh.org.uk/packages/the-seven-deadly-sins-mahagonny-songspiel/videos/the-seven-deadly-sins-mahagonny-songspiel 

Available until: 9^th May

The last two years at the ROH are hardly what the Jette Parker Young Artists would have expected and hoped for. There has been very limited opportunity to work alongside seasoned professionals or to play roles in large-scale, well-known operas, and we can’t dismiss the impact of the absence of the audience: not just the instant positive feedback but the energy they give the singers throughout the performance, just by being there.

A PERFECT FAMILY (Penny Dreadfuls/Moth Sanctuary Productions)*****

 

By Sophie

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-dolKCPjo0

Available until: Unknown

A Perfect Family is yet another absolutely incredible story produced as a YouTube audio book by Moth Sanctuary Productions.

It tells the story of a doctor with a thriving practice who falls in love with a woman living in the area. She returns his feelings and the two are happy, deflecting the many questions about when they would have children, apparently feeling no need to conform to expectations.

ANTHROPOCENE: THE HUMAN ERA (GymJam/Oxford Playhouse)**

 

By Emma

Link: https://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/whats-on/all-shows/anthropocene-the-human-era/13828 

Available until: 10^th May 10am

Anthropocene: The Human Era is mostly very pretty to watch but I don’t really understand it.

It’s partly a choose your own adventure game. You choose between different options and you learn something about the environment. This is framed by an outer story of a woman called Megan who says goodbye to her partner Max, then her friend Giulia comes rushing round with magazines, chocolate, wine… and a pregnancy test. So I don’t know what the wine’s doing there really. Wine seems a bit tactless when there might be nothing to celebrate and if there is something to celebrate, you can’t drink!

I WISH MY LIFE WERE LIKE A MUSICAL (KING’S HEAD THEATRE)*****

 

By Imogen

Link: https://kingsheadtheatre.com/whats-on/i-wish-my-life-were-like-a-musical 

Available until: 12^th May

Lots of people wish their life was more like a musical. It all looks so glamorous up there on the stage. This musical is actually more about wishing you had the life of a musical theatre star than literally wishing that you’re green all over and that a whole city thinks you’re evil and your family is dead and your boyfriend is never going to die and what if he doesn’t age and you do? I’m sure having a toyboy is a lot of fun (I’m too young to have toyboys, boys who are younger than me are so immature) but you don’t actually want them to look like your toyboy.

PARADISE LOST PART 2: EVE AND ADAM (Red Bull Theater)****

  

By Cal

Link: https://www.redbulltheater.com/paradise-lost

Available until: Saturday 1^st May at 12.30am (UK); Friday 30^th April at 7pm (EST).

It seems more than two weeks since Part 1 aired, but seeing the characters onscreen again helped to jog my memory almost straight away.

Adam and Eve are living happily in the Garden of Eden, but someone has a plan to ruin it. Adam senses that all is not completely right with Eve, and the Father (God), fearing their disobedience, sends Raphael, one of His best angels, to have a word.

JACKAL RUN (Guildhall School of Music and Drama/Breach Theatre)*****

 

By Emma

Link: https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/spring_2021/jackal_run 

Available until: 30^th April

Jackal Run is based on a true story. It is absolutely terrifying to think that any of this could be real. It seems so cruel and unethical but it happened and maybe it’s something that could happen again.

GALLATHEA (The Show Must Go Online)****

 

By Megan (she/her)

Link: https://www.patreon.com/TheShowMustGoOnline/posts (you need to sign up as a patreon to watch this show)

Available until: Unknown

The Show Must Go Online has performed all the plays which Shakespeare definitely wrote (though a lot of people would say The Two Noble Kinsmen is definite and other people include Edward III and Sir Thomas More) so now they are performing a classic play by John Lyly.

ALONE TIME (Coronavirus Theatre Club)*****

 

By Cal

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4l55jy6r_Q 

Available until: Unknown

Content warning: There’s no official warning, but this play does include what you might call ‘adult themes’, even though they’re not exclusive to adults.

Alone Time is really sad. In all sorts of ways.

It’s sad because the main character hasn’t had the support he needs from his parents. He was actually planning on moving out now he had a job, but the pandemic came along and the job disappeared. His parents aren’t happy with the person he is and that hurts him. Of course it does.

OH FOR ****’* SAKE (I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU) (Nottingham Playhouse/In Good Company/Arena Theatre Wolverhampton)**

 

By Dave

Link: https://nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk/events/oh-for-fcks-sake

Available until: 14^th May

Captioned version available. You’ll have access to both versions when you book.

Content warning: Contains strong language, scenes of a sexual nature and some cartoon violence. 15+

Comedies can be really difficult if you happen not to find them funny and unfortunately that was the case with this one. However although I didn’t really enjoy the play itself, the subject of it was very interesting and I did enjoy thinking afterwards about the ideas in the play.

SCOOP’S SPACE: MR GOBBLE’S GARDEN (Little Angel Theatre)****

 

By Lottie & Ricky

 

Link: https://littleangeltheatre.com/online-shows-and-activities/watch/mr-gobbles-garden 

Available until: Unknown

HENRY V (Guildford Shakespeare Company)****

 

By Louise

Link: https://www.guildford-shakespeare-company.co.uk/henry-5-online

Available until: Final performance on 25^th April at 7pm

There is only half an hour until the final performance of Guildford Shakespeare’s Henry V, but I really hope that everyone who is interested in seeing a short, brilliant production of Henry V will be able to watch this one.

PRIVATE PEACEFUL (Box Less Theatre/Barn Theatre)****

 

By Louise

Link: https://barntheatre.org.uk/privatepeaceful-stream-page-the-barn-theatre

Available until: 2^nd May

Michael Morpurgo is probably most famous for his novel War Horse, which was adapted for the stage and performed at the National Theatre. The production was available to watch on the National Theatre’s website earlier in lockdown.

But he wrote a lot of other books too, including Private Peaceful, which is also set in wartime. There are three Peaceful brothers – Joe, Charlie and Tommo. Joe is a lovely disabled boy who is very kind and loves animals. Charlie and Tommo spend a lot of time together and they make friends with a girl called Molly. Some of the story is about when they are children and part of it is about when Charlie and Tommo go to fight in the war.

SHOWSTOPPER: THE IMPROVISED MUSICAL 24.4.21 (The Showstoppers/Islington Studios)*****

 

By Arran

Link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/showstopper-the-improvised-musical-livestream-tickets-151971263139?aff=ebdsoporgprofile 

Available until: I think it’s available till 29^th April.

The latest Showstopper musical is set somewhere I can’t tell you about because it would give away which story the Showstoppers chose but it is a really interesting place to set a musical and it was really good.

IN PIECES (Future Spotlight Productions/Stream Theatre)***

 

By Imogen

Link: https://www.stream.theatre/season/83 

Available until: Livestreams on Sunday 25^th at 2.30pm and 7.30pm, Monday 27th 12.20am and 7.30pm, Tuesday 28^th at 12.30am.

In Pieces is a new musical with music by Joey Contreras. There is no book, just lots of songs one after another and it’s performed by lots of big West End stars.

The music is very good. If I had to say what style it is I would say some of it is similar to Dear Evan Hansen but the music doesn’t all sound the same. It is tuneful and fun and there are some sad and lyrical songs too.

LOST LISA MARIE (Penny Dreadfuls from the Moth Sanctuary Productions)*****

 

By Cal

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4DIVULDVWQ 

Available until: Unknown

Lost Lisa Marie is the first in what I believe is set to be a chilling but wonderful series from Moth Sanctuary Productions. The company have uploaded a number of brilliant stories to YouTube, all beautifully read, but these are original stories from the Moth Sanctuary Productions team.

SHOWSTOPPER: THE IMPROVISED MUSICAL 23.4.21 (The Showstoppers)*****

 

By Alba

Link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/showstopper-the-improvised-musical-livestream-tickets-148209118463?aff=SSweb 

Available until: 30^th April. There’s another livestream tomorrow at 7.30pm.

I think improvising is brilliant. It’s so much cleverer than just remembering stuff which other people made up and it means you never have to learn any lines. I’m going to be the prime minister and that’s a bit like improvising because I’ll get asked loads of questions I don’t know the answer to and loads of questions I don’t want to tell anyone the answer to so if I get bored of ruling the country maybe I’ll be a showstopper because they rule too!

ILLUSIONS OF LIBERTY (Applecart Arts/King's Head Theatre)****

 

By Sophie 

Link: https://kingsheadtheatre.com/whats-on/illusions-of-liberty-2021 

Available until: 5^th May

Illusions of Liberty is about a cellist with a chronic incurable invisible illness. I didn’t write it myself, but I theoretically could have done because I am a cellist with a chronic incurable invisible illness. Bach’s first cello suite and The Swan from The Carnival of the Animals are two of my favourite cello pieces and they provide a gorgeous soundtrack for this important play.

DESERT ISLAND THEATRE WITH TOBY JONES (Bristol Old Vic)*****

 

By Megan

Link: https://bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on/toby-jones 

Available until: 2^nd May

Desert Island Theatre is a bit different from Desert Island Discs but it’s just as good.

Toby Jones is the guest and Desert Island Theatre was actually his idea. The guest has to choose seven theatre productions they’ve seen which had a big effect on them to take to a desert island with them. He got the idea when he was thinking about the different ways people remember theatre and what they remember.

TESTAMENT (Via Brooklyn)****

 

By Dave

Link: https://www.viabrooklyn.org/testament 

Available until: April 24^th 2021. The rental lasts 24 hours.

Content warning: MATURE. This video contains mature, or explicit, or sexually suggestive content. It may not be appropriate for all viewers.

Testament is based on three stories from the Bible with a modern twist. I’m not a Christian myself, I’d probably call myself an agnostic of Muslim descent but they’re all characters I have a vague knowledge of. But even if you don’t know the Biblical characters, I don’t think that matters. Testament is a strong enough piece to stand up on its own.

ALL YOUR HOUSES (Barrel Organ/Guildhall School of Music and Drama/Silk Street Theatre)****

 

By Cal

Link: https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/spring_2021/all_your_houses 

Available until: 30^th April

All Your Houses is the first (or at least the first we’ve watched) in a series of free events from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Judging from this performance, the standard is extremely high. Having seen some of their previous performances, I’m actually not very surprised.

JEW…ISH (Unleash the Llama/King’s Head Theatre)****

 

By Cal

Link: https://kingsheadtheatre.com/whats-on/jewish-2021 

Available until: 5^th May

It gets to the stage sometimes when you’re almost scared to laugh.

Jew…ish is a hilarious comedy about a couple who belong together. Probably. Whether they’re better as friends, friends with benefits, benefits without friendship, a committed monogamous relationship or if they’re simply better texting each other from opposite sides of the world, there is something about Max and TJ that makes them perfect for each other.

WHODUNNIT AT THE COLISEUM (Oldham Coliseum)*****

 

  

By Arran

Link: https://www.coliseum.org.uk/shows/whodunnit-at-the-coliseum-3601ab

Available until: 25^th April. You’ll receive a link when you book. It becomes active on your chosen date and remains active for 48 hours.

Whodunnit at the Coliseum is an interactive murder mystery which is set in the Oldham Coliseum. You go through lots of different options and talk to the different characters and at the end you can decide who you think did the murder. At the end of your 48 hours access they send you a newspaper article about the murderer and you get to see if you were right.

NINE EXPERIMENTS TO CHANGE THE WORLD (Southwark Playhouse Young Company/Southwark Playhouse)***

 

By Emma

Link: https://www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/show-homepage/nine-experiments-to-change-the-world 

Available until: 22^nd April

Nine Experiments to Change the World is a Zoom play which was written (apart from the bits by Shakespeare, Tony Kushner and maybe other people I didn’t notice) and performed by the Southwark Playhouse Young Company.

VESPERTILIO (King’s Head Theatre/Shoot Media)****

 By Dave 

Link: https://kingsheadtheatre.com/whats-on/vespertilio

Available until: 5^th May

I always thought bats were cool. I used to have a bat detector. It was mostly pipistrelles - sopranos and altos. I looked for Daubenton’s bats, flying low over the river but I never saw any. Or noctules. They were supposed to be around but they must have run off when they heard the bat detector clicking.

PERFECT (Northern Comedy)***

 

By Cal

Link: https://northerncomedytheatre.com/perfect

Available until: Shows on 21^st, 22^nd, 23^rd, 24^th, 25^th and 26^th April at 8pm

Perfect is about education minister, Daniel Lewis, and the questionable decisions he makes. He begins with an idea for education reform. He’s very enthusiastic about it and he believes in it, but soon, he finds himself getting distracted by other things, unfailingly choosing to do whatever is likely to get him into the most trouble.

HENRY IV PART II (Shake-Scene Shakespeare)****

 

By Louise

Link: https://www.patreon.com/shakesceneshakespeare

Available until: Unknown

At the end of this play, book holder Lizzie Hughes said Henry IV Part II wasn’t like one big play, it was like lots of little plays, one after another. I was so glad to hear her say that because I was thinking exactly the same thing, but I wasn’t sure if I was brave enough to write it in my review.

UNMATERNAL INSTINCT (Coronavirus Theatre Club)***

 

By Emma

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfZWH3QJfMg

Available until: Unknown

Not everyone wants to be a mum and that’s completely okay. They should never be pressured or guilt-tripped into it. They should be allowed to live their own life.

A TOUCH OF THE POET (Irish Repertory Theatre/Stream Theatre)****

  

By Cal

Link: https://www.stream.theatre/season/100 

Available until: On demand until Sunday 25^th May at 11.59pm

There are a lot of unusual things about A Touch of the Poet, but one thing that stands out in particular is the fact that there’s a very important character who is never seen.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST (Lawrence Batley Theatre)***

  

By Dave

Link: https://www.thelbt.org/shows/the-importance-of-being-earnest-2

Available until: Tuesday 4^th May. You’ll be sent a link on the day of your chosen performance and you have access for 48 hours.

Content warning: Contains some strong language. 14+

This isn’t the Oscar Wilde play. Let’s get that right of the way right now. It’s set in the modern world with vloggers and followers and cancel culture. It follows the main basic story of The Importance of Being Earnest and most of the characters correspond to an equivalent character in the original play but it’s not Oscar Wilde.

GEORGE (Gate Generations/Gate Theatre)****

 

By Cal

Link: https://www.gatetheatre.co.uk/gate-generations

Available until: Unknown

Gate Generations is a series of short works inspired by past Gate Theatre productions. George is based on Down and out in Paris and London, which is by George Orwell.  A stage adaptation by Lou Stein was performed at the Gate Theatre in 1979.

HENRY IV PART I (Shake-Scene Theatre Company)*****

  

By Louise

Link: https://www.patreon.com/shakesceneshakespeare

Available until: Unknown

I find the history plays quite difficult so even though I knew Shake-Scene would do a brilliant performance of this play, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to appreciate it as much as it deserved. But this really is a great production with so many fun moments and it’s very easy to follow.

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK (Nottingham Playhouse)****

 

By Lottie & Ricky

Link: https://nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk/events/jack-on-demand-2021

Available until: 28^th May 2021. You have access to the recording for five days. You can watch it with captions, sign language or audio description.

 

FAKE (Elysium Theatre Company)***

   

By Emma

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVWP265YLvA 

Available until: Forever

There are a lot of conspiracy theories going around at the moment. I think there always have been. It’s probably not just recently that people have been saying the moon landings are fake. But now it’s got a bit more dangerous. Some people don’t believe the coronavirus is real and that means they’re risking people’s lives.

A SPLINTER OF ICE (Cheltenham Everyman Theatre/Original Theatre Online)****

 

By Cal

Link: https://originaltheatreonline.com/productions/20/a-splinter-of-ice

Available until: 31^st July 2021 at 11.55pm

The reviews say you’ll get more from the play if you know about the Cold War. It’s impossible to be sure whether this is true or not, but my lack of knowledge certainly didn’t prevent me from enjoying the play. Perhaps I even had an advantage as everything in the play was new to me. I also haven’t read any Graham Greene and spent part of the play mentally confusing him in my head with Graeme Garden, but I still had no difficulty in enjoying it.

THE MUSIC OF ERICH ZANN (Moth Sanctuary Productions)*****

  

By Louise

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qll2WqvKgbM 

Available until: Unknown

The Music of Erich Zann is quite a frightening story, but it is very different from a lot of horror stories I have read and heard.

A lot of horror stories tell similar sorts of stories, but I don’t think I’ve read about creepy music before. I love music and I think it is beautiful, but even though a lot of people think of ugliness when it comes to horror stories (especially when they are about zombies), I think beautiful things can be very frightening too. The Picture of Dorian Gray is another really good story which shows this but The Music of Erich Zann is about beautiful, scary sounds.

CRUISE (Aria Entertainment/Lambert Jackson Productions/Shoreditch Town Hall/Stream Theatre)*****

 

By Dave

Link: https://www.stream.theatre/season/61 

Available until: Livestreams every day at 7.30pm until Sunday 25^th of April, with matinées at 2.30pm on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Cruise is a sad story but it’s also a story that’s full of love and hope. The play is being streamed live over the next week and then it’s transferring to the Duchess Theatre where it will be played to a live audience. I really hope that, on at least one occasion, the audience will include me.

ON BECKETT/IN SCREEN (Irish Repertory Theatre/Stream Theatre)****

 

By Cal

Link: https://www.stream.theatre/season/84 

Available until: On demand until 18^th April

On Beckett/In Screen manages to be really difficult and very reassuring all at once. Difficult because… well, it’s Samuel Beckett! Reassuring because I did get the feeling all the way through that it was okay to find it difficult.

MURDER (Future Voices/Southwark Playhouse)

 

 By Aashiq

Link: https://www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/future-voices

Available until: Unknown

I do like a bit of murder. Not personally, no-one’s actually murdered me yet, though I think a few people have thought about it. Not in a bad way. Just an ‘Aashiq is so annoying’ way. But on a psychological level, the subject is really fascinating. There are so many different types of murder and reasons for murder and so many different ways of telling the stories.

OUTSIDE (Orange Tree Theatre)****

 

By Louise 

Link: https://orangetreetheatre.co.uk/whats-on/outside/about

Available until: Livestreams Friday 16^th April at 7.30pm, Saturday 17^th at 2.30pm and 7.30pm

Outside is a sort of sequel to Inside, which was streamed on the Orange Tree site three weeks ago. Both are made up of three short plays. The first three plays have the theme of Inside and the second three have the theme of Outside.

FATHER THE FATHER (The MAC /Prime Cut Productions/Upstairs Theatre at the MAC)*****

 

By Cal 

Link: https://themaclive.com/event/father-the-father

Available until: 17^th April

Father the Father tells the story of a woman trying to trace the man who is biologically her father. He knew about her, but she’s never met him. She’s grown up, not knowing what to say about who her dad is. She’s grown up wanting to know who he is. But she’s also angry with him because… where was he?

WINNINGS (Compacts)*****

 

By Dave

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P03qjE7QShw 

Available until: Unknown

We’ve kind of been putting off watching the last Compacts play. Once you’ve watched the last one, it’s over. It’s silly really. But it’s such a great series with an unbelievable range of stories, characters and ideas so it's been good having one more to look forward to. But Rick Allden's been waiting long enough!

DR SEUSS’S THE LORAX (Old Vic)****

 

By Alba

Link: https://www.oldvictheatre.com/whats-on/2021/old-vic-in-camera/dr-seusss-the-lorax

Available until: Thursday 15^th April at 7pm. Friday 16^th April and Saturday 17^th April at 3pm and 7pm.

The Lorax is an American children’s story by a guy called Dr Seuss. I asked Megan about him because she’s read everything. She has even read Shakespear and Jane Austin. But she says she’s never read Dr Seuss. That shows there are always good writers you haven’t read yet even if your Megan.

RICHARD II (Shake-Scene Theatre Company)*****

 

By Cal

Link: https://www.patreon.com/shakesceneshakespeare

Available until: Unknown

Richard II marks the beginning of a long history cycle which has sadly skipped King John, but he did reign quite a long time before Richard II. The other history plays more or less move from one King to the next. Judging from Shake-Scene’s performance of Richard II, it’s going to be a very exciting cycle. Richard III will not officially be part of this cycle as Shake-Scene have done this play already, but as we haven’t watched it yet, we will be sticking it on the end after Henry VI Part III.

A PASSION PLAY (Written on the Waves/Forty-Five North)****

  

By Cal

Link: https://soundcloud.com/user-538797665/a-passion-play 

Available until: Unknown

A Passion Play is the story of two girls in Cork in 2015. The title refers to the fact they’re putting on a passion play at their local church, but perhaps one of the girls is starting to feel a passion for the other. Or perhaps they both are.

SUSAN, BILL AND THE FORGOTTEN PROMISE (Red River Theatre)****

 

By Louise

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npQLouHZjUA 

Available until: Unknown

A lot of people wonder what will happen to their favourite fictional characters after the end of the book. That’s why a lot of people like to write fanfiction. Some people look down on fanfiction a bit because people aren’t creating their own characters, but I think the ability to write someone else’s characters shows a different kind of creativity because they are able to use their imaginations within someone else’s limits. It’s also a compliment to the original book that we are still thinking about what happens to the characters long after we read the last page.

DON GIOVANNI (Liceu Opera Barcelona/Gran Teatre del Liceu/OperaVision)*****

 

By Megan

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1MNN-d87CE&t=2s 

Available until: 4^th June 2021

Don Giovanni is a sad opera but it has lots of really beautiful music, some really interesting characters and a great story. There are lots of really good productions which are available to watch online or on DVD but the Liceu Opera Barcelona’s production is extra special because it was filmed in the pandemic.

THE HANG OVER (Coronavirus Theatre Club)****

  

By Emma

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6CTlxYcfnI 

Available until: Unknown

I’m not going to say ‘we’ve all been through it’ because some people haven’t and I actually haven’t been through it properly because so far, it’s always turned out to be my boyfriend (this was before I got married and decided I’d better start pretending to be a grown-up) but I think it probably is a situation we’d all recognise as a nightmare.

PARADISE LOST PART 1: THE FALL OF LUCIFER (Red Bull Theater Company)****

  

By Cal

Link: https://www.redbulltheater.com/paradise-lost

Available until: 12.30am GMT on Saturday 17^th April/7.30 EST on Friday 16^th April. Part 2 is on Monday 26^th/Tuesday 27^th April and will also be available for 4 days.

Paradise Lost is known as an epic poem in blank verse by John Milton about the story of Adam and Eve, also featuring various other characters which most people will recognise. The Red Bull Theater present an adaptation by Michael Barakiva, who also directs this production.

JULIUS CAESAR (Royal Shakespeare Company/The Shows Must Go On)****

 

By Alan

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvFe9HZOhew  

Available until: 16^th April, probably 7pm

I have never seen Julius Caesar in the list of Shakespeare’s history plays but he was a real person. He was a Roman consul general and statesman who was born in 100 BC and was assassinated 55 years later. He really was married to Calpurnia (and three other women, sometimes to 2 at the same time) and she apparently really did dream he was going to die. Caesar really was assassinated by a group that was led by Brutus and Cassius on the Ides of March which is March 15^th. 

EVERYBODY (Richard Burton Company/Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama)***

 

By Dave

Link: https://rwcmd.ticketco.events/uk/en/e/everybody

Available until: It’s hard to be sure when the site’s down but judging from the other RWCMD plays, it’ll probably be available till 24^th April.

Everybody is based on the 15^th century morality play Everyman by an unknown author. It is probably the most confusing play I’ve ever seen so just to warn you, this might be a terrible review. But I do think this play is worth seeing because it’s an opportunity to see some really talented and versatile performers.

CHARLEY’S AUNT (Proud Haddock at Home)****

  

By Louise

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-z1GPKlu9E 

Available until: Unknown

Charley’s Aunt is a really lovely farcical comedy about falling in love. I think it’s somewhere between Oscar Wilde and pantomimes so if you like one of them (or both), you’ll probably like Charley’s Aunt too.

FABLES AT THE KITCHEN TABLE (Stute Theatre/PH Production Services/Manchester Central Library)*****

 

By Lottie & Ricky

Link: https://www.stutetheatre.co.uk/fables 

Available until: 22^nd April

 

ALL THAT I AM (Richard Burton Company/Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama)****

 

By Cal

Link: https://www.rwcmd.ac.uk/events/all-i-am 

Available until: 23^rd April 2021

Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama have been producing some fascinating plays recently. Yen and In the Blood in March and now The Writer and All That I Am. I’m really looking forward to seeing Everybody tomorrow. It really could be about anything.

DISENCHANTED! (West End Musical Productions/Stream Theatre)****

 

By Imogen

Link: https://www.stream.theatre/season/96 

Available until: Final performance Sunday 11^th April at 7.30pm.

Content warning: Disenchanted! contains adult language and content. It tackles difficult subject material including misogyny, race and sexuality. It may not be suitable for people under the age of 16 who aren’t as mature as I am and parental discretion is advised.

Disenchanted! is enjoying a very short run on Stream Theatre starring some of the very best of West End female talent. It has already been seen off-Broadway but I don’t think it’s got any further than that. It’s ridiculous really. It’s a really good musical.

THE FLYING SEAGULL (Flying Seagull Project/Applecart Arts)****

 

By Lottie & Ricky 

Link: https://applecartarts.com/in_the_theatre.php?id=1775&title=the-flying-seagull-spectacular 

Available until: Unknown

 

PHAEDRA’S LOVE (Gate Generations/Gate Theatre)****

 

By Louise

Link: https://www.gatetheatre.co.uk/gate-generations 

Available until: Unknown

The story of Phaedra is really sad, but it is also really interesting because there are lots of different versions of the story. There is a traditional version and an alternative version and lots of other writers have written their own versions. In all of them, Phaedra falls in love with her stepson Hippolytus.

THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH (Moth Sanctuary Productions)****

 

By Cal

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNbftZw7AUg 

Available until: Unknown

Sometimes we have things planned in the schedule and for whatever reason they don’t work out so we have to bring in another production to replace it so we can keep up with our three reviews a day. After the brilliance of Moth Sanctuary Productions’ Company of Wolves, I couldn’t resist sneaking in another one. And I did say a couple of weeks ago that I wanted to get to know more of Edgar Allan Poe’s work…

AS YOU LIKE IT (Shake-Scene Theatre Company/Cream Faced Loons)*****

 

By Emma

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnxD1zy6g88 

Available until: Unknown

This production of As You Like It was the first ever collaboration between Shake-Scene Theatre Company and the Cream Faced Loons. I’ve watched productions from both of them and really enjoyed them. I’ve seen quite a few Shake-Scene productions and I reviewed their The Merry Wives of Windsor which I loved. But they’re equally good at tragedy, their Macbeth was actually quite emotional and The Winter’s Tale is a beautiful story with a bit of everything and Shake-Scene’s production was lovely.

MASKING THE TRUTH (Distanced Scenes/Two Bob Films/TwoFiveFour Productions)****

 

By Sophie

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNeZYUoDj1U 

Available until: Unknown

Masking the Truth is about a daughter who speaks to her elderly mother on Zoom. Her mother is clearly becoming very confused. She forgets who people are and that her husband is dead. She becomes angry about things which have been done which were clearly intended as a kindness.

THE WRITER (Richard Burton Company/Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama)****

 

By Dave

 

Link: https://www.rwcmd.ac.uk/events/writer 

Available until: 22^nd April 2021

The Writer isn’t an easy play to review. There’s a lot I can’t say because I don’t want to ruin the surprise. But I’ll start off and let’s see what happens.

The play begins in a theatre. A young woman enters the circle. A man comes onto the stage and sees her. He actually looks like a young man but he’s not that young. That did confuse me for a bit but then I realised this is a student production so it’s going to be ageblind. He asks her what she thought of the play and she tells him.

THE BEE-EATERS (Foliate Head Films/iTunes)****

  

By Cal

Link: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/movie/the-bee-eaters/id1548549255 

Available until: Rent for 48 hours or buy

Age rating: 15

Content warning: Mentions of grooming, a rather upsetting death, violence

Bee-eaters are brightly-coloured birds related to kingfishers. The ones that (occasionally) visit the UK are red, green, yellow, blue and brown. No bee-eaters actually appear in this film, but there are characters who hope to see bee-eaters and they do become symbolic. There are a lot of things in this play which are possible but most likely just out of reach.

ANGELA CARTER’S THE COMPANY OF WOLVES (Moth Sanctuary Productions/Scenesaver)*****

 

By Cal

Link on Scenesaver: https://www.scenesaver.co.uk/production/angela-carters-the-company-of-wolves-full-readthrough 

Link on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4fqHKK2YSI

Available until: Unknown

I hadn’t actually read any Angela Carter before, though I’ve seen Emma Rice’s incredible musical adaption of Wise Children. After watching this, I will be seeking out more Angela Carter… though not necessarily to read. Not if I can get Chloe Gorman and Andrew Bate to read it for me!

L’HEURE ESPAGNOLE (Grange Park Opera/Wigmore Hall)****

  

By Emma

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUfUg7_bbJc 

Available until: Unknown

L’heure espagnole is really quite a naughty opera but there’s something really sweet and funny about it too. I think maybe the characters are deep enough for us to be interested in them but not so deep we’re actually going to feel bad for Torquemada?

RICHARD III (Guildford School of Acting)*****

 

By Tommy

Link: https://gsauk.org/whats/richard-iii 

Available until: One more livestreamed performance on Thursday 8^th April at 7.30pm.

Age rating: 15+

Richard III is the fifth play to be streamed by Guildford School of Acting which has been watched and reviewed by Mobile Theatre and it is an absolute privilege to watch these incredible young performers, still students but already giving performances at the very highest level.

PUTTING A FACE ON (Old Vic)*****

 

By Louise

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcpaHs-edY0 

Available until: Unknown

Putting a Face On is a really sad and moving monologue, but I think it is also a hopeful and inspiring monologue. It’s also a really important monologue because it draws your attention to a lot of things which people don’t realise. I know that’s a bit vague, but I don’t want to give anything away.

THE FISHERMEN (New Perspectives/Radio 3)***

 

By Cal 

Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000sqxq 

Available until: 4^th May 2021

The radio play The Fishermen is based on the play of that name by Gbolahan Obisesan which is based on the book of that name by Chigozie Obioma. The play was staged by New Perspectives Theatre Company and then had a run in London at the Trafalgar Studios. Recently, the cast was reunited and a new production was produced for Radio 3. I understand some changes were made for the radio audience, but these were minimal and I think they were made more to clarify the story rather than to alter it.

CELINA AND THE SPIDER (HOME MCR)***

 

By Lottie & Ricky 

Link: https://homemcr.org/event/celina-and-the-spider-storytime-sessions 

Available until: 30^th August 2021

 

HYSTERICAL! A HILARIOUS HISTORY OF HYSTERIA (Theatre Royal Stratford East)****

  

By Sophie

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0Tp1nYqSZw

With audio description: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBmv98RxZjc

With BSL interpretation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oE-MUHcGfo

With captions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2pGJ0_ekH4 

Available until: Unknown

There are many ways in which Hysterical! A Hilarious History of Hysteria might be described. It could be described as ‘hilarious’ though it resonated so personally with my own emotional and physical pain, I personally didn’t find it amusing, though it is undeniably witty.

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW (Musical Theatre Academy/Bridewell Theatre/Stream Theatre)****

  

By Imogen 

Link: https://www.stream.theatre/season/91

Available until: Livestreams at 7.30pm Monday-Friday with a matinee on Wednesday at 3pm. On Saturday there are shows at 3pm and 8pm and on Sunday it’s 2.30pm and 8pm. The final shows are on Sunday 18 April.

The Musical Theatre Academy is a drama school in London which has been named Stage School of the Year twice. Something Old, Something New is a showcase for the graduating class of 2021 but all the students feature.

SOME GIRL I USED TO KNOW (Home House/The Umbrella Rooms)****

 

By Emma 

Link: https://somegirl.co.uk/ 

Available until: Saturday 1^st May. You have access for 72 hours.

Some Girl I Used to Know was inspired by the film of Shirley Valentine. I’ve never seen it but Sophie said the play was good so I read it and it is really good. I wouldn’t say I identify with it exactly because Shirley is quite a lot older than me but she’s a really great character and a nice person and when actors started filming monologues I did think how nice it would be if one of the theatres put on Shirley Valentine.

POWER OF THE MIND (Coronavirus Theatre Club)***

 

By Cal

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vV0lsqpBwY 

Available until: Unknown

The best comedies have at least a little bit of truth in them and that is definitely true of Power of the Mind.

THIS IS THE PLAY WITHOUT A TITLE (The Far Away Plays)****

 

By Dave

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23fpdOl28lk 

Available until: Unknown

We’ve known about The Far Away Plays for a while but this is only the second time we’ve actually watched one. I doubt it will be the last. Judging from the standard of this play, we’ve missed some really great performances.

This version of This is the Play Without a Title was written by Simon Harris but it’s actually based on a play by Anton Chekhov. Chekhov didn’t much like it, it was never performed in his lifetime and he thought it had been destroyed but his sister had hidden it. After Chekhov’s death the play was rediscovered and performed. The work was untitled but an article in the Sydney Theatre magazine suggests it might have originally been called Fatherlessness, and it has been presented under many titles including A Long Play Without a Title, Chekhov’s First Play, Platonov, which is the name of the character at the centre of it all, and rather more confusingly, Wild Honey in an adaptation by Michael Frayn. Chekhov’s other works include A Story Without a Title so maybe that influenced the sort of title this play is usually given.

THE GINGERBREAD MAN (Theatre by the Lake/Stuff and Nonsense Theatre Company)*****

 

By Lottie & Ricky

Link: https://www.theatrebythelake.com/event/gingerbread 

Available until: Performances on Monday 5^th and Tuesday 6^th April at 4pm

 

I WENT TO YOUR GRAVE TODAY (Gate Generations/Gate Theatre)***

 

By Dave 

Link: https://www.gatetheatre.co.uk/gate-generations 

Available until: Unknown

I Went to Your Grave Today is part of the series of short scenes paying tribute to past Gate Theatre productions. Some actors are performing scenes from the plays, others have rewritten them, others have written something in response to the play.

AN ELEPHANT IN THE GARDEN (Barn Theatre)****

 

By Alba

Link: https://barntheatre.org.uk/elephant-in-the-garden 

Available until: 18^th April 2021

Age rating: 8+

An Elephant in the Garden is based on a book by Michael Morpurgo. He wrote War Horse too. He writes proper books. I don’t like soppy books and I think Harry Potter is total stinking rubbish but Michael Morpurgo writes about real stuff.

CAN WE TALK ABOUT IT? (Five Star Theatre/Stream Theatre)*****

 

By Cal

Link: https://www.stream.theatre/season/80 

Available until: 8^th April at 11.59pm GMT. Available on demand.

Can We Talk About It? is a set of eight monologues (including three which feature the same character) about subjects we ought to talk about but very often don’t. They’re produced by Ethan J. Smith and Rhian Tilley and I would guess that part of their aim is to encourage people to talk about it, whether that means sharing our own problems or talking about some of the issues raised in these monologues.

BABYLON (Future Voices/Southwark Playhouse)

 

By Aashiq

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hENM4sMGZbU 

Available until: Unknown

Just a reminder that Future Voices is a series of plays written by young people. I don't give star ratings because I don't want to compare them with the other Future Voices plays. But the standard of writing is very high and if I did give stars, they would compare very favourably to plays by professional writers.

Babylon is set in a strange world. Rules are different. Names are different. There are two characters. One of them seems to have some understanding of what’s going on. The other has questions and wants to understand more about the world she lives in.

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (The Shows Must Go On)****

 

By Imogen 

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BseBCzOh6s 

Available until: Sunday 4^th April at about 7pm

Jesus Christ Superstar was one of the first musicals Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber put online for free and now he’s bringing it back to celebrate Easter. Not that Easter was exactly the best time for Jesus but there are great musicals on all sorts of weird subjects. Sir Andrew has also written musicals about cats hanging round a junk yard and trains having races with each other and that sounds so boring but they’re actually good musicals.

ORDINARY DAYS (Theatre Café/Pickle Stage Productions)****

 

By Louise

Link: https://www.thetheatrecafe.co.uk/shop/ordinary-days

Available until: April 6^th. You must watch the complete show within 24 hours.

Ordinary Days is about four young people. Jason is about to move in with his girlfriend Claire as he thinks this will help them to get closer, but Claire finds the idea difficult. Warren and Debs (she was Deb in the original musical, but this production calls her Debs) don’t know each other. He is a struggling artist working as a cat-sitter. She is a student writing a thesis. But maybe they have more in common than they think.

PLAY FIGHT (Finborough Theatre)****

  

By Cal

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGFDp_Pu-d8 

Available until: 8th April

Content warning: The play contains strong language, and themes of violence, including sexual violence, and sexual abuse. 16+

Play Fight won the ETPEP prize in 2020. Every year, the Finborough Theatre runs a playwriting competition for people who have worked in the theatre industry for at least two years but have never worked as playwrights. If anyone wants to enter this year, they’ll need to hurry up because the deadline is 30^th April.

ANGELA (Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh/Sound Stage/Pitlochry Festival Theatre/Naked Productions)*****

 

By Megan

Link: https://lyceum.org.uk/whats-on/production/angela 

Available until: Final performance Friday 2^nd April, 7pm

Angela is a very sad play in lots of ways but it’s also a really happy and beautiful play. It’s a celebration of a person and how amazing she was.

It is written by Mark Ravenhill and it’s about his mum Angela. Her parents called her Rita but she felt much more like an Angela. It’s really lovely the way most people call her Angela after she explains. I’m very lucky because my parents called me Megan and I feel like a Megan but sometimes the name you are given feels wrong.

ONE DUCK DOWN (Applecart Arts/FacePlant Theatre)*****

 

By Lottie & Ricky

Link: https://applecartarts.ticketsolve.com/shows/1173606435?_ga=2.237645504.1961616818.1617292904-2082717800.1615558530

Available until: Available for 30 days from the time of your booking

 

IF I HAD A GARDEN (Coronavirus Theatre Club)***

  

By Dave 

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foDbKjm2Vr4 

Available until: Unknown

It’s tough being in lockdown. The people who you usually quite enjoy living with can turn into the most annoying people on the planet. Or so half the occupants of my house seem to have told me. They never went quite to the length of the character in this monologue but I think most of us can relate. We’ve probably either felt this anger in ourselves or we’ve felt it directed at us.

TRESTLE (Maltings Theatre/OVO Theatre)***

  

By Cal 

Link: http://maltingstheatre.co.uk/trestle 

Available until: 10^th April 2021

It’s funny how chance meetings can turn into friendships. You might not have seen someone before, or not to talk to. They might not be the sort of person you’d expect to be friends with.

But somehow, for some reason, a connection is formed and it grows into a friendship. The meetings become regular. You share jokes. Even food.

LEM & GINGE: THE PRINCESS OF KAKOS (Written on the Waves/Forty-Five North)***

 

By Emma

Link: https://www.forty-fivenorth.com/lem-n-ginge-the-princess-of-kakos

Available until: Unknown

Lem & Ginge: The Princess of Kakos is an audio comedy in four parts. It’s about two actors who are looking for some stage work. I’m sure most stage actors can relate to this at the moment. Camping in a field is cheaper than a Travelodge and it’s while they’re in this field that they discover the Princess of Kakos has a big problem.