By Alba
Link: https://www.oldvictheatre.com/whats-on/2021/old-vic-in-camera/dr-seusss-the-lorax
Available until: Thursday 15th April at 7pm. Friday 16th April and Saturday 17th 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.
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.
By Emma
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=520obrdEjU0
Available until: Unknown
I’m not sure if the woman in this monologue makes me want to laugh or makes me want to rescue her but it’s very good.
By Cal
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVHxKOSJt8U
Available until: Unknown
Imagine That is the third monologue in the One Hand Tied Behind Us series, which celebrated National Women’s Day 2021.
Carmen has just finished a twelve-hour shift. Now, she’s getting ready to go out for her other job. The last thing she needs is to go out and vote. She’s tired. But it means a lot to her friend Rose.
By Cal
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3U0WIQRBbY
Available until: Unknown
The thing about monologues is that they can be about anything. Literally anything. And because they’re so short, there’s not much of a blurb so you don’t know what it’s about until the actors start talking. Even then, it can take a while to be completely sure.
By Sophie
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4Bsf_PcLKs
Available until: 31st March 2021
Monologues don’t have to be about nice people. A monologue from an awful person can be really compelling, especially if it’s well-acted, and this certainly doesn’t apply only to monologues. We’re transfixed by Macbeth and it’s not till the end when Macduff and Malcolm realise the true situation and start fighting back that we really have someone to support and care about. Until then, we’re happy to watch the Macbeths cracking under the strain of their own actions, as Lady Macbeth slowly deteriorates and Macbeth murders one person after another in an effort to secure his continued presence on the throne. This could be enough to class Macbeth as a problem play, but instead, it’s seen as one of Shakespeare’s great tragedies. We don’t need to like Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. All we need to do is watch and admire.
By Cal
Link: https://www.oldvictheatre.com/whats-on/2021/old-vic-in-camera/in-camera-playback-lungs
Available until: Livestreams at 7.30pm
on Thursday 28th and Friday 29th January.
Lungs was first performed at the Old Vic in late
2019, starring Matt Smith and Claire Foy. They were set to reprise their roles
in New York in March 2020. We all know why that didn’t happen. But in June, the
production was performed live in an empty Old Vic to a virtual audience and now
the Old Vic are giving us three more showings of this incredible play from the livestream recordings.
By Louise
Link: A
Christmas Carol | The Old Vic (oldvictheatre.com) £10, £20, £30, £40, £55,
£65 (pay what you can)
Available until: Livestreams available
Monday-Saturday until Thursday 24th December. Times vary.
There are a lot of productions of A
Christmas Carol which will be available online this month. I’ve only
watched this one so far so I can’t say which one is the best, and that probably
wouldn’t be fair, anyway. All I can say that if you want to choose just one,
this will be a good one to choose. I’m sure there will be other good
productions too, but this one is definitely good.
I think most people know the story of A
Christmas Carol, but in case you don’t, it’s based on a novel by Charles
Dickens and it’s about a man called Ebenezer Scrooge. He hates Christmas and
everything it stands for. All he cares about is money. But one night he has a
visitor who tells him there is still time for him to change. He will receive
three more visitors. They will help him decide what to do.
By Aashiq
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Qs2WIHVSiU
Available until: Unknown
This play was actually produced and filmed in 2019, in
response to the changing attitudes to mental health and addiction. I didn’t
know that when I first watched it. The emotions and situations the character,
played by Weruche Opia, seem to describe the current situation so well. The
need to stay in motion, as many people have done with their exercising and
baking. (I didn’t get into all that. Me and ovens aren’t the best combination.
I’m not too bad at the actual cooking part, but not so good at
remembering to switch the thing off.) The feeling of being overwhelmed. Of not
quite knowing what was going on. I honestly thought it was written in lockdown
till I read the video description.
By Dave
Link: https://www.oldvictheatre.com/availability/old-vic-in-camera/faith-healer Tickets £10-40 (I think there's a limited number at each price and you pay what you can afford)
Available until: Can only be watched live. Final performance
is on Saturday 19th September, 7.30pm.
I’ll be honest. It took me a little while to get into Faith
Healer. But that’s the way it is with some plays. They need a bit of
investment. A bit of work on the part of the audience. It’s not like mindless
telly where you can just let it wash over you. You need to stick with this one
and you need to use your brain. It’s worth it. It really is.
By Cal
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPRP-ijwWP4&t=593s
Available until: Wednesday 12th August 2020.
I think Louise, Imogen or Megan would be better at reviewing
dance than me, not because they’re girls but because they’ve been dancing for
years and I didn’t get the opportunity until I was a teenager and by then, it
seemed a bit late. But the recommended age is 16+ so we feel the reviewer ought
to be 16+.
This performance includes strobe lighting, partial nudity,
scenes of a sexual nature, sexual violence and physical violence.
