We may not be able to go to the theatre at the moment but thankfully the theatre can come to us. There are plenty of companies providing access to archive recordings to help us get our stagey fix. In this article, we’ll be rounding up everything that’s available for families to live-stream to their living room. We will update it as and when new shows become available, so keep checking back for the latest news…..
Snow Mouse (The Egg, Bath and Travelling Light Theatre Company)
(Suitable for 0-4 years): This production has played several successful festive seasons at The Egg, Bath as well as a national tour. Featuring play, puppetry and music, it’s the perfect introduction to live(ish) theatre for little ones. This is the link to the recording.
The Polar Bears Go Up
(Suitable for ages 2-5): Award winning children’s theatre company, The Polar Bears have been on many adventures over the years and now they are venturing into the digital world by releasing a recording of The Polar Bears Go Up. There is also a downloadable activity sheet to go with it. We’ll be watching it and bringing your our thoughts soon.
LUNA, a play about the Moon (Roustabout Theatre Company)
(Suitable for ages 5+): Fresh from an acclaimed run at VAULT Festival, but with the remainder of their planned tour cancelled, Roustabout Theatre Company has released a recording of their space themed family show here. It’s free to watch but you are encouraged to make a donation to the company if you can. It’s only available for 30 days so make sure you watch it by 22 April.
Tweedy’s Lost and Found (Barn Theatre)
(Suitable for all ages): As part of the Barn Theatre’s Behind the Barn Door series, family favourite Tweedy the Clown is broadcasting live at 12pm every Wednesday. Follow the Barn Theatre’s Facebook, YouTube and Twitter accounts for the latest links.
Peter and The Wolf (Royal Ballet): Suitable for all ages
The Royal Ballet has released several productions online, including the premiere of Matthew Hart’s production of Peter and The Wolf. It runs at just over half an hour, so is a nice introduction to ballet for children (and cynical adults!)
It’s available on demand for 30 days (from 27 March).
The Wind in the Willows : Suitable for all ages
The Wind in The Willows played at the London Palladium in summer 2017. You can stream archive footage of it on their website and they have also made an educational activity pack available, which means it definitely counts as school work!
Gulp (The Bone Ensemble): Suitable for ages 7+
The Bone Ensemble’s tour of GULP! has unfortunately been cut short by the coronavirus crisis but they have released a recording of the full show online. It’s an educational show with a water conservation message and there are plenty of supplementary educational resources available here – Perfect for those looking to do some stagey homeschooling! Check out the trailer below:
I wish I was a Mountain (A co-production from The Egg, Bath and Travelling Light Theatre Company): Suitable for ages 7+
Another one from The Egg, Bath. This time for slightly older children. I wish I was a Mountain is an award winning production written and performed by former Glastonbury Poetry Slam Champion Toby Thompson. Watch it here.
VIKING, Intrepid Fools: Suitable for ages 8+
Viking is a family show that played at the Edinburgh Fringe 2019 and received five star reviews. You can find it on YouTube. We’ll let you know our thoughts once we’ve watched it but in the meantime check out this review from a father and son reviewing duo.
Boys Don’t ( Half Moon and Papertale in association with Apples and Snakes (South East)): Suitable for ages 8-12
Half Moon Theatre will be releasing a series of its productions online over the coming weeks. Available now is their award-nominated 2017 production of Boys Don’t, which explores the concept that boys shouldn’t share their feelings. Check out the trailer below:
Coming up in April from Half Moon are Butterflies (ages 3-8), Need a Little Help (ages 2-7) and What Once was Ours (ages 12+). We’ll update this page with the relevant links once they’re live, but you can also check the Half Moon website for more details.
