TITUS ANDRONICUS (Shake-Scene Theatre Company)****

 

By Alan

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

Available until: Unknown

Content warning: This play is recommended for 16+ and contains some very sensitive content including violence, rape and murder which is done very realistically even on Zoom. If you think this play might not be for you, watch one of the others by Shake-Scene instead. You get sensitive people of all different ages and that’s totally fine. But if it is your sort of thing then watch it because it’s a good production.

Additional Warning: Maybe don’t watch this if you’re eating. Especially not if it’s pie.

CORIOLANUS (Shake-Scene Theatre Company)****

 

By Cal

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

Available until: Unknown

Before lockdown, all I knew about Coriolanus is that yes, the last two syllables usually are pronounced in the rude way. Now, I’m a bit more educated about Shakespeare (and maybe even a bit more mature) and other parts of this play are far more interesting to me – including how surprisingly enjoyable Coriolanus is.

ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA (Shake-Scene Theatre Company)*****

 

By Louise

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

Available until: Unknown

Antony and Cleopatra is classed as a tragedy, but there is a lot more to it than that. It is also a sort of history play as it deals with real historical events and there are some very dramatic scenes with physical and verbal battles. Nobody would ever call it a comedy, but there are scenes in it which are very funny.

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS (Shake-Scene Shakespeare Theatre Company)*****

 

By Tasha & Ry (The Twins!)

Link: https://www.patreon.com/shakesceneshakespeare (sign up here to access this and loads more brilliant plays, they’re doing the whole lot!)

Available until: Unknown

We love this because it is about twins! And what is even better than one set of twins? Twin sets of twins!

This is a really funny play. It doesn’t all make sense because I think if you go looking for your twin somewhere and get mistaken for someone else then it’s just like obviously your twin isn’t it? But we don’t think that matters. I think it’s more important for plays to be entertaining than it is for them to make sense. Making sense is like so overrated.

HENRY VIII (Shake-Scene Shakespeare Theatre Company)*****

 

By Louise

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

Available until: Unknow

Henry VIII is probably Shakespeare’s least-known history play. King John is another one that isn’t performed often, but I think people with an interest in Shakespeare usually know it exists. Before I started watching Shakespeare in lockdown, I didn’t even know there was a Henry VIII, but I’ve been lucky enough to see four productions in lockdown. It’s a very enjoyable play – especially with a cast like this – with interesting characters and so many really powerful moments.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (SupportBritish)*****

 

By Louise

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfL2t_VotoU

Available until: Unknown

Support British have produced a number of brilliant online productions during lockdown and A Christmas Carol is another opportunity to see a really entertaining play with some really excellent actors. It is also a good play for feeling Christmassy!

RICHARD III (Shake-Scene Shakespeare Theatre Company)*****

 

By Megan

Link: https://www.patreon.com/shakesceneshakespeare (Shake-Scene recorded another Richard III in 2020. This is the one is from October 2021.)

Available until: Unknown

If you don’t know the normal British way of naming the Kings (which you might not if you don’t live in the UK), you might think Richard III is the third in a trilogy with Richard II being the second and Richard I… well maybe that got lost like Cardenio.

If you do know that Richard III is the third English King called Richard, you might think that Richard III is a standalone history play like King John.

HENRY VI PART III (Shake-Scene Theatre Company)*****

 

By Megan

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

Available until: Unknown

The acting in Shake-Scene productions is always brilliant. The plots are really clear (though there are probably things I will understand better when I get older) and the actors perform with lots of enthusiasm. They are also the only company who uses cue scripts like Shakespeare did which gives them a real individuality. If you are interested in cue scripts you should definitely watch these plays. It is really interesting and cue scripts really do work.

HENRY VI PART II (Shake-Scene Shakespeare Theatre Company)*****

 

By Megan

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

Available until: Unknown

Henry VI Part II is believed to be Shakespeare’s first history play. It’s not King John, which is the earliest historically. It’s not Henry VI Part I, which you’d expect to come before Part II. It was Henry VI Part II (though it probably wasn’t called Part II at the time). Well, it was probably the first. It’s difficult to be completely sure with Shakespeare’s plays. Shakespeare might actually have liked it that way. I think he liked to keep people guessing.

HENRY VI PART I (Shake-Scene Shakespeare Theatre Company)*****

 

By Megan

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

Available until: Unknown

Half-term is traditionally a time when children have fun and that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to watch the three parts of Shakespeare’s Henry VI over five days. It sounds quite a lot because even the shortest one (this one) is nearly four hours long but it’s by Shakespeare and it’s presented by Shake-Scene Shakespeare Theatre Company so I knew it was going to be really good.

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE (Shake-Scene Shakespeare Company)****

 By Cal

 

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

Available until: Unknown 

The Merchant of Venice is definitely a problem play for me. There’s a lot here to make a modern audience very uncomfortable. 

Another problem is whose side you’re on. Nobody behaves all that well – and while this is a charge that could be levelled at a number of Shakespeare’s characters, the characters in The Merchant of Venice aren’t as easy to invest in as such incredible creations as Iago and the Macbeths.

AVANT ALICE (Thornhill Theatre Space)****

   

By Megan

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwH3OFeoeNw

Available until: Unknown

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is a story that has been adapted lots of times in lockdown and it has been really interesting to see all the different ways the story has been presented. It’s a story a lot of people really identify with at the moment. The whole idea of being in a new world where everything seems slightly off is one most of us can relate to.

ZOOM, A PLAY FOR LOCKDOWN (Thornhill Theatre Space)****

 

By Megan

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXRViqvsCO0&t=16s

Available until: Unknown

I’m really enjoying Thornhill Theatre Space’s #TTSFringe2. It has so many different types of performances about different subjects and in different styles from all over the world. #TTSFringe2 is a really nice celebration of digital theatre which is something that has been really important to a lot of people for the last eighteen months.

MASKS AND FACES (Finborough Theatre)****

 

By Cal

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aTlHSECRcE&t=2s

With subtitles: https://www.scenesaver.co.uk/production/masks-and-faces-subtitled

Available until: Wednesday 25^th August 2021

Masks are so much a part of our lives now, I mistakenly expected this to be a new play about current times. I was only about 170 years out of date. Masks and Faces is a Victorian farcical comedy, first performed in 1852.

KING LEAR (UK Actors Support Network)*****

 

By Louise 

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1hzjxF88nA

Available until: Unknown

King Lear is the latest play in a long series of Zoom plays which have been presented by UK Actors Support Network throughout lockdown. Other highlights have included well-known plays like The Winter’s Tale and The Importance of Being Earnest, as well as plays I hadn’t heard of like Hindle Wakes.

AS YOU LIKE IT (Worldwide Shakespeare)*****

 

By Megan

Link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/william-shakespeares-as-you-like-it-recording-tickets-163768011531

Available until: 26^th July 2021

The first production I ever reviewed was a production of As You Like It and that was nearly a whole year ago! I hope I’m better at reviewing than I was then. I write a lot more on my own now. I was only nine when I wrote my first review and I will be eleven in seven weeks.

Worldwide Shakespeare’s production of As You Like It was originally livestreamed just once but now it has been made available for another week. It is not free but it is Pay What You Can and whatever you pay, it will be worth it because it is a great production.

JULIUS CAESAR (International Actors Ensemble/Circle in the Sand/Alex Theatre)*****

 

By Louise

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R1S8pRoOwY

Available until: Unknown

Some people are a bit disappointed with Julius Caesar because there isn’t very much for the female characters to do. Shakespeare has written a lot of brilliant female characters, but there are only two females in Julius Caesar and they’re not always presented in a very positive way.

DOCTOR FAVSTVS (The Show Must Go Online)*****

 

By Megan

Link: https://www.patreon.com/TheShowMustGoOnline/posts                                                                                                                 

Available until: Unknown

Content warnings: This production contains noises and images that may be startling, sexual references and reference to suicide, along with depictions of self-harm and the occult.

Doctor Favstvs is the last full-length play in the Month of Marlowe and TSMGO give a brilliant performance just like they always do.

HOUSE MOTHER NORMAL (New Perspectives/Brighton Festival)***

 

By Cal

Link: https://brightonfestival.org/whats-on/house-mother-normal-online-3112

Available until: 31^st May. You’ll be sent a link shortly before 8pm on the day of the booked performance. You’ll have access for 48 hours. Captioned version is available.

It is incredibly brave to produce a play such as this in current times, but it is a decision I completely support and, if anything, the production might be a little overdue.

AN ACORN (Oldham Coliseum/impel Theatre)**

 

By Dave

Link: https://www.coliseum.org.uk/shows/an-acorn-recorded-6401ag

Available until: 17^th May 2021

The thing about audiences is we can be very lazy. We’re usually happy to put in the psychological work to find out what it’s all about. We’re usually happy to put in the emotional work so we can engage with the story and the character. We’re usually happy to put in the physical effort involved in getting to the performance. But we do have limits.