I wanted to try out something from The Yard Online’s day of fun, and chose No Show, a Zoom performance which sounded something a bit different.
‘Technology can bring us together but also tear us apart’: THE GHOST IN THE MACHINE – A Zoom play (Online review)
This play, written especially for Zoom by John Knowles, looks at a group of people trying to make a seance work when they can’t hold hands.
‘It captured all of the cheesy elements of the real thing’: The Showstoppers’ Alternative Eurovision Song Contest
During a 90-minute livestream, viewers were treated to some iconic performances from around the world in isolation.
‘This is our humanity. And sheer genius’ – Andrew Scott in SEA WALL
Lockdown occasionally spawns some real delights. Like the surprise appearance of a strange creature from the profoundest depths. One of these must be Andrew Scott’s superb performance in Simon Stephens’s Sea Wall.
‘A vivid kaleidoscope of culture & thinking’: BARBER SHOP CHRONICLES – National Theatre ★★★★★ (Online review)
You can’t beat the experience of sitting in a theatre watching a live performance, but one of the lockdown-positives is a chance to watch stuff I sadly missed and Barber Shop Chronicles is one of those.
‘A fascinating body of work’: I, Peaseblossom / I, Banquo (Online review)
Tim Crouch’s series of performances as overlooked characters in Shakespeare is a fascinating body of work. He has been developing these one-man shows (with assistance) for more than 15 years.
‘A lovely energy & pace runs right through the production’: BARBER SHOP CHRONICLES – National Theatre ★★★★★ (Online review)
This is a gloriously funny and heartfelt play that offers a fascinating insight into how the barbershop is a place of vital importance for African men.
‘A tale that has a special resonance at a time of remembrance’: IT IS EASY TO BE DEAD – Finborough Theatre (Streamed Broadcast)
A young man whose life was cut short by the First World War, Charles’ poems marked him out of as one the pre-eminent wordsmiths of his time.
‘Phoebe Waller-Bridge is an inspiration to my generation’: FLEABAG – Soho Theatre (Online review)
“Fleabag Live”, creator Phoebe Waller Bridge’s on-demand performance of her original stage hit, brilliantly mirrors the comedy and unique factors of the hit television show it spawned.
‘Women were sectioned on all sorts of non-medical pretexts’: BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON – Online Fringe Festival
History shows that right up to the 20th century, women were ‘sectioned’ on all sorts of non-medical pretexts.
‘Plenty of genuinely moving dramatic moments’: ABOUT 500 – Vault Festival (Online review)
If men were the people expected to plan their lives around having children with any expediency, there would be no gender wage gap.
‘I am completely shaken by the terrifying stillness of this play: CYPRUS AVENUE – Royal Court Theatre (Online review)
Five minutes ago, I finished watching Cyprus Avenue and I am bursting to write something, anything, down.
‘The camera captures Benedict Wong’s perfectly nuanced performance’: THE ARREST OF AI WEIWEI – Hampstead Theatre (Online review)
Howard Brenton’s docu-drama about the harassment of the Chinese artist is imbued with fresh urgency and relevance.
‘It is also about the elemental longing of all of us for human connection’: FRANKENSTEIN – National Theatre (Online review)
The megahit NT Live version of this iconic tale of creative hubris features a dynamic acting duo, but it is not perfect.
‘As entertaining as it is educational’: LUNA – Roustabout Theatre Company
It’s a brilliant piece of theatre which will no doubt capture the imagination of anyone interested in space, and is one of those shows which genuinely works as well (if not better) for the adults as it does for the kids.
‘Fast-paced & endlessly creative’: SUPER HAMLET 64 (Online review)
Edalia Day brings their mix of observational comedy, music, and Shakespearean interpretation to the video game space in the show Super Hamlet 64.
‘An imaginative & enjoyable show for these extraordinary times’: THE TEMPEST – Creation Theatre (Online review)
There’s even a cute section where viewers are encouraged to show off their pets. It’s these moments in particular which bring a smile to your face.
‘Matthew Kelly & David Yelland are more than a match for each other’: A HABIT OF ART – Original Theatre (Online review)
Original Theatre’s touring production of The Habit of Art was one I missed in 2018. It was due to return this year, but circumstances being as they are, here is a streamed version available to purchase for a small donation.
‘The numbing brilliance of this play raises awareness of the current health crisis” TIGER COUNTRY, Hampstead Theatre (Online Review)
I couldn’t think of a play more apt to raise awareness of the health crisis we now find ourselves in. Tiger Country is a blunt and beautiful portrayal of the real lives in an NHS hospital.
‘This is Clare Burt’s show’: FLOWERS FOR MRS HARRIS – Chichester Festival Theatre (Online review)
Making a dramatic property based on a book into a musical can sometimes be hit and miss, whatever the quality of the source material or the best intention of the adaptor.