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Streaming This Weekend: Family Adventures, Satirical Dance, and More

This weekend stream a hilarious musical, a free satirical dance performance, a play of four monologues, and a free kid-friendly adventure story.

Check out our suggestions of theatre to watch from home this week: 

The Midnight Gang - Play, Filmed Performance

When the clock strikes midnight most children are fast asleep, but for the Midnight Gang the journey is just beginning.  

Five children find themselves in hospital for a variety of reasons and they soon discover that something far more exciting is happening beyond the confines of the children’s ward. A heart-warming and hilarious tale of fun, friendship and adventure ensues, all under the cover of darkness when the horrible matron is sure they are all fast asleep.

Timpson: The Musical - Musical, Filmed Performance

Can the warring houses of Montashoe and Keypulet be united by a pair of star-crossed lovers? Journey to Victorian London where Monty Montashoe and Keeleigh Keypulet, two young inventors bursting with ambition, strive to break free from their humdrum lives and follow their dreams all the way to the 50th annual ‘Invention Convention’.

Barnes' People - Play, Filmed Performance

From writer Peter Barnes comes a selection of four exquisitely crafted monologues, performed by four of Original Theatre's leading actors and filmed on stage at the Theatre Royal Windsor.

Before the Interval - Dance, Filmed Performance

Before the Interval imposed itself as the obvious title for this second commission in which dancers take their choreographer's absence as a cue to promote their own talents as dancer-directors, projecting themselves into what their future selves could be.  

Using humorous, satirical dance theatre, the dancers speak their thoughts about their potential careers, audience expectations and hold conversations as they simultaneously move.

This classic musical set among the tenements of New York City finds a pair of star-crossed lovers caught in a turf war between rival street gangs.

Discover more than 1500 digital resources on Thespie.

Streaming This Weekend: Enchanting Acrobatics, Frontline Drama, and More

This weekend stream free dance theatre about the backstage life of dancers, enchanting acrobatics and circus, insights into the upcoming Back to the Future musical from the creator of the original film, and a documentary play about NYC frontline workers.

Back to the Future: From Screen to Stage - Creative Process, Artist Talk

An online discussion with the creatives and cast behind Back to the Future – The Musical.  The panel discusses how they went about adapting the hit film for the musical stage and what they did to make the story relevant to a new audience. Featuring insight from Bob Gale, the creator of the original film, along with other special guests including composer Alan Silverstri and songwriter Glen Ballard.

After the Interval - Dance, Filmed Performance

A show about dance and dancers that opens with the performers’ curtain calls, who then answer audience questions, and continues with revivals of their past stage roles and steps. After the Interval brings to the fore the art of dance making and the backstage lives of dancers.

Cirque du Soleil: Spotlight on Amaluna - Circus, Filmed Performance

Cirque du Soleil turns the behind-the-scenes spotlight on Amaluna. The acrobatic show, which has a 70% female cast, is set on a mysterious island ruled by goddesses and is loosely based on Shakespeare's The Tempest.

The Line is a new documentary-style play crafted from first-hand interviews with New York City medical first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

It reveals the lived experiences of frontline medical workers in New York and their battle to save lives.  Created from quarantine in ‘rapid response’ to this global emergency, The Line presents a fundamental redefinition of what it means to protect and serve, through the words of the brave people who show up every day to care for us all.

Sing tells the story of koala theatre owner Buster Moon. When he launches a singing competition to help change the fortunes of his struggling business, it attracts animals from across the fictional land of Calatonia. Who will win the competition - and can Buster restore his theatre to its former glory?

It’s been a joyous week for musical theatre fans in London! Hamilton and Mary Poppins are the latest of over a dozen large-scale London musicals committed to welcoming back audiences in summer 2021. 

Here are five fan-favourite shows we’re excited to see return in the coming months.

Hamilton is the story of America's Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington's right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and helped shape the very foundations of the America we know today. 

The magical story of the world’s favourite Nanny is brought to the stage with dazzling choreography, incredible effects and unforgettable songs including Jolly Holiday, Step in Time, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and Feed the Birds along with new additions. 

When Dorothy famously triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West, we only ever heard one side of the story. 

Wicked tells the incredible tale of an unlikely friendship between two young women who first meet as sorcery students. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfil their destinies as Glinda The Good and the Wicked Witch of the West. 

The show, based on the 1994 animated Disney film, has been using puppetry, stunning effects and an enchanting soundtrack to transport West End audiences to the heart of the African Pridelands since 1999. 

Inspired by a true story, the musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is about a sixteen-year-old boy from Sheffield who doesn’t quite fit in.

Supported by his brilliant loving mum and surrounded by his friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness, into the spotlight.

Streaming This Weekend: A Musical Murder Mystery, and More

This weekend stream a hilarious murder mystery musical starring Jason Manford and Rachel Tucker, free dance theatre exploring stories of migration, a gripping play about family secrets, and a live rock musical reunion concert.

A Killer Party - Musical, Filmed Performance

In this hilarious new musical, fuelled by a contemporary pop score, viewers are invited to experience the joy of theatre in an entirely new way.

When a failed West End actor calls a read-through for his latest murder mystery play, the cast of local actors arrive at the party with anything but theatre on their minds. When he ends up face down in his soup, it’s up to a Traffic-Police-Officer-turned-detective to piece together what happened. If only the ensemble of suspects would stop singing…

Showstopper! The Improvised Musical Livestream - Musical, Livestream

These improv experts take suggestions from audiences at home and transform them live into two brand new musical comedies.  

So whether you fancy Six on a ski lift, Hamilton in Huddersfield, some Carousel in Croydon or Lloyd Webber in a lake, you suggest it and The Showstoppers will make it happen and stream it straight to your sofa. 

This play follows Catherine, a troubled young woman on the eve of her twenty-fifth birthday. She's spent years caring for her brilliant but unstable father, a famous mathematician and now, following his death, she must deal with her own volatile emotions.

Over the long weekend that follows, a burgeoning romance and the discovery of a mysterious notebook draw Catherine into the most difficult problem of all: How much of her father’s madness—or genius—will she inherit?

Border Tales is a poignant commentary on the cultural diversity of Britain using dance, live music and dialogue compiled from the artists’ personal experiences. It looks at Britain through the eyes of an international cast and gazes satirically on stereotypical thinking and migrant outsiders.

Rock of Ages - Concert, Artist Talk, Livestream

Rock of Ages will play a one-night only, livestream shredfest, featuring an all star “supergroup” of Rock of Ages alumni. Prepare to stream at the top of your lungs to some of the greatest 80’s hits – live from the Bourbon Room Hollywood stage.

Streaming This Weekend: An Intimate Musical, Passionate Dance, and More

This weekend watch a passionate free performance of Matthew Borne's The Car Man set in an American midwest diner, an intimate  site-specific performance of The Last 5 Years, and a fun-filled reunion livestream with the London cast of Everybody's Talking About Jamie.

The Last 5 Years - Musical, Filmed Performance

A brand new site-specific streaming production of the emotionally powerful and intimate musical about two New Yorkers in their twenties who fall in and out of love over the course of five years, The Last Five Years' unconventional structure consists of Cathy, the woman, telling her story backwards while Jamie, the man, tells his story chronologically; the two characters only meet once, at their wedding in the middle of the show. 

A refreshing whirlwind perspective on modern romance, heartbreak, and self-discovery, brought to life through Jason Robert Brown's award winning musical and starring Broadway artists Nasia Thomas, and Nick Edwards. Watch an interview with the cast and creatives here.

The Broadway Cast Reunion Series: Everybody's Talking About Jamie - Livestream

Meet the London stars of "Everybody's Talking About Jamie", the musical that celebrates acceptance, belonging, the power of unconditional love of a mother for her child, and how good life is when everybody is the best they can be. 

The Broadway Cast Reunion Series gives audiences a chance to do what they may never have done before: visit “backstage” with the cast and hear personal, hilarious, unscripted stories and gossip – as the casts really let their hair down. Viewers can even ask questions via the chat feature.

Featuring Bianca Del Rio, Layton Williams, Noah Thomas, Melissa Jacques, Hiba Elchikhe, Dan Gillespie-Sells and Director Jonathan Butterell.  

The Time of Your Life - Play, Filmed Performance

This new physical theatre play has an ordinary man at its heart. Desperate to feel different and to find a real human connection in a world consumed by social networks and mass advertising, the man embarks on a journey through rooms representing different milestones in his life.

Loosely based on Bizet’s popular opera Carmen and arranged by Terry Davies, the familiar 19th-century Spanish cigarette factory of the opera becomes a greasy garage-diner in the American mid-west of the 1960s. 

The arrival of a handsome stranger disturbs the dreams and passions of those who live and work there. Fuelled by heat and desire, the townsfolk are driven into an unstoppable spiral of greed, lust, betrayal, and revenge.

Classical Music Powerhouse Wigmore Hall Continues Live + Streaming Evolution with Ambitious 120th Anniversary Plans

Wigmore Hall, one of London's most intimate classical music venues, has become a powerhouse of free streaming programming during the past year, presenting over 200 concerts and 360 artists, which have been seen or listened to by more than 6 million people from around the world. Presenting this incredibly ambitious cadence of programming has garnered the organisation more than £1 million in online donations, and they are now turning their attention to a 120th anniversary season of live and digital programming, as London's restrictions begin to ease so that performances with live audiences can resume. 

The hall plans to reopen from 17 May, the first day that the government will allow indoor performance, kicking off a 25-concert season of ambitious and diverse programming that includes: 

a special Anniversary concert featuring Associate Ensemble, Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective (31 May)

an outdoor concert in Portman Square Gardens featuring 12 Ensemble, a pioneering unconducted string ensemble (30 May)

an art song gala centred around themes of hope and renewal, devised by pianist Graham Johnson (1 Jun)

a solo recital by pianist Dame Mitsuko Uchida (2 Jun)

a song recital given by Gweneth Ann Rand, reflecting on 'Black voices and muses' in tribute to soprano Jessye Norman and others (3 Jun)

a weeklong Learning Festival focused on 'Connectivity,' mixing online and in-person opportunities to engage with classical music. 

Uchida will will be presented with the Wigmore Hall Medal in recognition of her nearly six-decade-long association with the Hall, and Wigmore Hall’s green room will be renamed the ‘Jessye Norman Green Room’ in memory of the legendary soprano who opened more Wigmore Hall seasons than any other artist. 

The Hall's inclusive approach to reaching remote audiences will continue with 13 of the 25 concerts being streamed for free. 

The institution has also doubled down on its efforts to find, support, and promote artists who embrace an expansive and inclusive vision for what is defined as classical music. John Gilhooly, Director of Wigmore Hall, said "At this time of renewal, we are keen to continue our search for new and unjustly neglected voices on stage." On May 31st they will announce the 12 recipients of their Lockdown Commissions Scheme (chosen from over 700 applications) and have also announced nine new Associate Artists who will perform a concert in each season for the next five years and reflect a broad range of talents in Western classical music as well as other classical music traditions. They have also created a new African Concert Series spearheaded by the Nigerian-Romanian pianist Rebeca Omordia. The series reflects the depth and diversity of African art music, a rich genre which forms a bridge between Western classical music and traditional African music.

Learn more about Women's Day on Broadway.

Streaming This Weekend: Operatic Cowboys, Shakespearean Drama, and More

This weekend watch a free performance of Shakespeare's thrilling Julius Caesar set in the aftermath of the Arab Spring uprisings, a documentary on the making of a Western opera, and an exploration of the possible futures of society.

Riders of the Purple Sage: The Making of a Western Opera - Documentary, Film

Western cowboy culture and opera’s hallowed traditions converge to celebrate the collaborative power of art in this new documentary film. What begins as a challenge between a composer and his librettist evolves into a creative posse of artists, musicians, and singers sharing a singular vision.

The power of Zane Grey's classic novel is reclaimed opening night in an opera that marries music theatre, cutting-edge stagecraft, and matinee heroes.

A fast-moving thriller about a struggle for democracy, William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is also a love story between two men united by an explosive act of political violence.

Gregory Doran‘s film sets the action in post-independence Africa. With echoes of the recent overthrow of dictators during the ‘Arab Spring’, the production explores the implications of political assassination and the unpredictability of its aftermath.

Imagine the future. However you choose to imagine it. Now imagine it in your hands. What does community mean in a time of division and separation?

Mixing live performance, animation and sound, ASSEMBLY looks at the impact of humans on nature and what we might build together for a better future. It's about trying, failing, and trying again. In times of emergency, it is about hope.

When an idealistic poet is drawn into the dark, fantastical underworld of the Parisian night-club the "Moulin Rouge," he finds a seedy, glamorous haven of sex, drugs and electricity. 

He finds himself plunged into a passionate love affair with the club's star, who is also the city's most famous courtesan in this tragic love story from filmmaker Baz Luhrmann.

Streaming This Weekend: Jesus, Shrek, Dolly & NYC

This weekend stream a coming of age story told through the lives of four New Yorkers, a free stream of the hit rock musical Jesus Christ Superstar, and a hilarious musical adaptation of the greatest fairy tale never told.

Ordinary Days - Musical, Filmed Performance

Ordinary Days is a poignant musical about how ordinary things are just what makes life so extraordinary. The story follows four young New-Yorkers trying to find their way: a woman who cannot let things go; a man who wants to start afresh; an artist who struggles to find his purpose; and a student who has lost her thesis notes.  

This is a musical for anyone who has ever struggled to appreciate the simple things in a complex place. With equal doses of humour and poignancy, it celebrates how individual stories combine in unexpected ways.

Jesus Christ Superstar - Musical, Filmed Performance

Jesus Christ Superstar is an iconic rock musical retelling of the final days of Jesus Christ, but as seen through the eyes of Judas Iscariot.

The story, told entirely through song, explores the personal relationships and struggles between Jesus, Judas, Mary Magdalene, his disciples, his followers and the Roman Empire. The iconic 1970s rock score contains such well-known numbers as “Superstar,” “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” and “Gethsemane.”

Shrek the Musical - Musical, Filmed Performance

Make room for ogre-sized family fun as the greatest fairy tale never told comes to life in a whole new way in this Broadway musical adaptation of the hit movie Shrek. On a mission to retrieve a princess from a fire-breathing dragon, gruff ogre Shrek teams up with an unlikely compatriot - a wisecracking donkey.

The film that inspired the hit musical is now available to stream on Disney+. A group of female office workers, the all-knowing manager who trained the boss but can't get promoted, a befuddled newcomer, and an alluring personal secretary everyone presumes is having an affair, all band together to seek revenge on the man who is making their lives miserable.

Lorien Haynes is an actor and playwright based between London and Los Angeles and her first play Good Grief, which draws from her own experiences of finding joy in the process of grief, has just premiered as a piece of virtual theatre.

Alongside her theatre work, in the last two years she has written, acted and produced 23 short films, directed by 21 women, which support survivors of abuse and assault, and is currently working on her indie feature The Lift which won Best Screenplay at The Paris Independent Film Festival..

When I was a teenager I was such a chronic introvert I wouldn’t speak to anyone and just hid in corners reading endless, crap adult romance fiction. I was pushed into doing a school production of some terrible gothic melodrama. I walked through the doors into the first rehearsal and everything changed. I wanted to work. I wanted to act. I wanted to communicate.  I had found my tribe. I was home. And I could be myself in theatre in a way I couldn’t be in life. That’s not really changed. 

There has to be the right ‘why’ behind the play, behind any performance. Why does the play exist? What purpose does the play - your part in it - serve. 

What’s something that you've learned along the way that you use often?

Theatre is not personal. You’re simply a vessel. As actor, or writer. Theatre is there for storytelling and shared experience. People aren’t watching you, listening to you. It’s your job to convey and communicate information and emotion that helps people identify and learn. That makes people feel seen. That helps us all in an understanding of universal truths. There has to be the right ‘why’ behind the play, behind any performance. Why does the play exist? What purpose does the play - your part in it - serve. 

What experiences have shaped who you are and how you work?

Your life is the experience you can share. All of it. The tough stuff. What you’ve learned. How you’ve survived. Your emotion. Your truth. As an artist, there is a compulsion to understand experience and shape it into a way you can share it. Good Grief came from a need to understand the loss of a friend; to manifest a tribute to her and to try and share the complex nature of grief and the realisation that nothing had taught me how to deal with her loss. Nothing in education. Nothing in society. I had no equipment.

What advice do you have for people wanting to engage with the arts during this difficult time?

Just to engage. To seek theatre. It’s stunning how everyone from the RSC to the National to The Old Vic to the Donmar and Almeida have sought - fought - to keep going. To provide streamed productions. When I was approached by Finite Films and Platform Presents, their objective to find a new form of theatre at this time felt essential and innovative. A sign that as human beings we have the capacity to adapt creatively and find a way in the darkest of times. The history of art is full of examples of this. And then, as a creative, I say to others, don’t give up. To the thousands out of work and afraid for when the industry can start again - we need you. We are all fighting to sustain but there is no doubt in my mind how essential theatre is to life. We have to hold onto that.

We are all fighting to sustain but there is no doubt in my mind how essential theatre is to life. We have to hold onto that.

What kind of theatre would you love to see more of?

I see anything and everything! From experiential theatre like Sleep No More, to Broadway [Humans], to West End [Betrayal], to rep, to off West End -  I could not choose. I think the future of theatre at the moment needs to go outside. I think we need to cultivate a culture of outdoor theatre - which in a pandemic is the safest option. I’d love to form a small rep company to tour outdoor UK and US venues. Anyone that wants to finance this - please give me a shout!

Streaming This Weekend: Arts Spectaculars, Gripping Drama, And More

This weekend stream a gripping family drama performed in the round, two spectacular arts and dance celebrations, and captivating readings from Olivia Colman, Taron Egerton, Claire Foy, and Helen McCrory for Letters Live.

Letters Live - From the Archives: Union Chapel - Readings, Filmed Performance

Letters Live celebrates letter writing and the art of correspondence through live events where remarkable letters are read by a diverse array of outstanding performers. This filmed performance features stunning readings from Taron Egerton, Claire Foy, Alan Carr, Thom Yorke, Jordan Stephens, Sue Perkins, Benedict Cumberbatch, Asa Butterfield, Adrian Edmondson, Olivia Colman, Damian Lewis, Louise Brealey, Helen McCrory and Nick Cave.

Rise Up With Arts - Concert, Dance, Filmed Performance

Rise up with Arts combines thrilling performances and interviews with incredible dancers & musical theatre stars about what performing means to them and how they have overcome the challenges of the last year.

With performances from stars of Strictly Come Dancing, So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing With The Stars and The Greatest Dancer your favourite dance shows are covered.

The House of Bernarda Alba - Play, Filmed Performance

Bernarda’s husband is dead. Now she alone rules her household and the lives of her five daughters. Bernarda struggles to retain her suffocating grip on the family and on her daughters whose appetite for defiance is growing.  

Lorca’s final masterpiece is a bitter and darkly comic tragedy that charts the tyranny, jealousy and desperate struggle for freedom that will tear Bernarda and her daughters apart.

In a landmark co-production, Graeae bring their unique focus on accessibility and different theatrical languages to bear on this spare and full-blooded translation of the play by Jo Clifford.

Remembering the Oscars - Concert, Dance, Filmed Performance

A stunning one-hour TV spectacular starring Aljaž & Janette, together with a fantastic cast of singers and dancers, celebrating Oscar winning songs, films and dance routines from the Golden Ages of Hollywood through to Disney family favourites and beyond, featuring many classic and contemporary songs and dance routines.  

Featuring a cast of some of the UK’s best dancers, performing on a brand-new stage with a huge LED screen, together with specially filmed content, new musical arrangements of over 25 songs and wonderful costumes. Movies being celebrated include: Dirty Dancing, Mary Poppins, Flashdance, Cabaret, Wizard of Oz, American In Paris, The Lion King, La La Land, Toy Story, and many more.

Streaming This Weekend: Site-Specific Musical Magic and More

This weekend stream enchanting acrobatics, a reunion of a Sondheim musical, an interview with the stars of a site-specific show, and once-in-a-lifetime performances from a star-studded cast featuring Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston, and Jude Law, in Letters Live.

The Last 5 Years  - Musical, Filmed Performance

A brand new site-specific streaming production of the emotionally powerful and intimate musical about two New Yorkers in their twenties who fall in and out of love over the course of five years, The Last Five Years' unconventional structure consists of Cathy, the woman, telling her story backwards while Jamie, the man, tells his story chronologically; the two characters only meet once, at their wedding in the middle of the show.  

A refreshing whirlwind perspective on modern romance, heartbreak, and self-discovery, brought to life through Jason Robert Brown's award winning musical and starring Broadway artists Nasia Thomas, and Nick Edwards.

Letters Live - From the Archive: Freemasons' Hall - Readings, Filmed Performance

Letters Live celebrates letter writing and the art of correspondence through live events where remarkable letters are read by a diverse array of outstanding performers. 

Featuring stunning performances from Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston, Olivia Colman, Jude Law, Carey Mulligan, Clarke Peters, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Miriam Margolyes and more. Watch these one-in-a-lifetime performances from Letters Live from your own home.

The Assassins Reunion Show - Musical, Artist Talk, Filmed Performance 

Patrick Cassidy, Artistic Director of Studio Tenn Theatre Company in Franklin, TN, has organized a star-studded 30-year reunion of the original cast and creative team of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s Tony Award-winning musical, Assassins.

Original cast members Cassidy, Victor Garber, Greg Germann, Annie Golden, Lyn Greene, Jonathan Hadary, Eddie Korbich, Terrence Mann, Debra Monk, William Parry and Lee Wilkof will join Sondheim and Weidman, director Jerry Zaks, musical director Paul Gemignani, and orchestrator Michael Starobin, among others.  

The film inspiration for the hit musical Waitress is now available to stream on Disney+.

Jenna is unhappily married, hiding away money, and hoping to win a pie baking contest so, with the prize money, she'll have enough cash to leave her husband Earl. She finds herself pregnant, which throws her plan awry. 

She bakes phenomenal pies at Joe's Diner, listens to old Joe's wisdom, tolerates her sour boss Cal, is friends with Dawn and Becky (her fellow waitresses), and finds a mutual attraction with a new doctor in town.  As the pregnancy advances, life with Earl seems less tolerable, a way out less clear, and the affair with the doctor complicated by his marriage.

Prominent Plays Receive 2021 Oscar Nominations

Today the nominations for the 2021 Academy Awards were announced, including some substantial recognition for three stage works that have been adapted into incredible films.   

The adaptations of plays One Night in Miami... (by playwright Kemp Powers) and The Father (by playwright Florian Zeller and translator Christopher Hampton) have both been nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, and The Father received a Best Picture nomination. 

For The Father, Anthony Hopkins was also nominated for Best Actor, making him the oldest actor to be recognised (at 83), Olivia Coleman was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, with further nominations for Editing (Yorgos Lamprinos) and Production Design (Peter Francis and Cathy Featherstone.) 

One Night in Miami...’s Leslie Odom, Jr. was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Sam Cooke, and Best Original Song for “Speak Now,” which he performed and co-wrote for the film. The Hamilton alum is expected to perform the song for the ceremony in April, and you can stream the official music video for the song below:

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, adapted from the legendary August Wilson play, didn't receive a nomination for its screenplay, but provided two acting nominations: Viola Davis for Best Actress and Chadwick Boseman for Best Actor; as well as noms for Production Design (Mark Ricker, Karen O'Hara and Diana Stoughton), Costume Design (Ann Roth) and Makeup & Hairstyling (Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson.) 

Davis has now received four career Oscar nominations, making her the most-nominated Black actress in Academy history, and she won previously for Fences, another August Wilson adaptation. Boseman passed away in August while Ma Rainey was still in post-production, after a battle with colon cancer, and has already posthumously received a Golden Globe Award for the role.

Congrats to all these amazing artists! 🎉 We love seeing stage works go on to reach a broader audience, and theatre actors recognised for their contributions to film as well. 

We look forward to hearing the winners announced (and hopefully a Leslie Odom, Jr. performance) at the ceremony on Sunday, 25 April.

Streaming This Weekend: An Explosive Musical and Hard-Hitting Theatre

This weekend watch a thought-provoking examination of a family in crisis, an explosive new musical in concert, a hard-hitting reflection of Black women’s political power, and an exploration of gods in the modern world. 

Several years after tragedy impacted their lives, a family comes together once again for Thanksgiving dinner. While family members struggle to come to terms with residual anger, grief and guilt, Jack Canfora’s thought-provoking play explores how people cope with personal and collective catastrophe. 

Displaying surprising humor and biting wit, this Jericho, Long Island clan exposes their desperate strategies for resolution and redemption. 

Treason The Musical: In Concert - Livestream, Musical

Treason is the exciting new musical drama about the gunpowder plot, set to completely blow you away with a stunning new score and lyrics, featuring a fusion of original folk and pop songs that tell a crucial tale in England's history. 

This concert, filmed at Cadogan Hall in London, is a fantastic showcase of the explosive original songs created for this brand new musical and performed by an incredible cast.

AISHA (the black album) - Short Film, Poetry

Following the United States’ centenary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 2020, which gave the first women the right to vote in America, and Kamala Harris’ historic inauguration, Aisha (the black album) traces the history of Black women’s political power. 

Spanning from disenfranchisement to mobilisation against the backdrop of the pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the 2020 US election, this is a powerful brand new commission, performed by Jade Anouka and directed by Tinuke Craig.

The Talkings Gods Season of plays contains five snapshots of our modern world, filled with pathos and comedy, music and love, tragedy and loss - powered by the beating heart of timeless, enrapturing Greek myths.

They seek to honour these ancient tales by reimagining them in the present whilst retaining their ancient truths, as relevant today as they were when first told.  

Streaming This Weekend: Heartfelt Humour and Iconic Musicals  

This weekend watch an absurdly hilarious play about grief, a celebration of one of the most revolutionary musicals of all time, and a free, joyful celebration of life from the cast of one of the newest Broadway shows.

After the tragic loss of a woman they loved, two friends navigate the five stages of grief and all the absurdity, hilarity and pain that that entails. Sharp, funny, brutal, irreverent and quintessentially British. 

Jagged Live in NYC - Filmed Performance, Livestream 

The cast of Jagged Little Pill appear in a free encore airing of their special reunion concert, delivering an electrifying dose of collective joy and a reminder of art’s ability to heal. 

Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella - Musical, Film

This classic reimagining of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella for a new generation, starring Whitney Houston and Brandy, was an instant classic in 1997 and finally makes its way to UK streaming on 5 March.

25 Years of Rent: Measured in Love - Livestream

This weekend is your final chance to catch the epic celebration of the musical RENT which recently turned 25 years old. See performances by an all-star cast, moving tributes to composer/lyricist Jonathan Larson, and get insight into the early beginnings of RENT at New York Theatre Workshop before becoming the beloved, global phenomenon it is today. 

The Reunion x Girl Power - Filmed Performance, Artist Talk

Looking forward to the beginning of next week, join us for an International Women's Day double-feature of two great concerts, along with a new special artist Q&A and behind-the-scenes footage. You can expect brilliant pop vocals, cute behind-the-scenes moments, and heartfelt encouragement for audiences at home. 

12 Rising Theatre Stars Receive Grants Amid Starry Performances

Tonight, twelve rising stars of UK theatre each received £10,000 grants from the Future Theatre Fund, in a streamed event hosted by musical theatre stars Aimie Atkinson and Layton Williams. 

Awards were given in 6 categories: acting, directing and theatre-making, visual design, audio design, musical theatre and the TikTok Breakout Star award. The talented recipients are: 

Directing & Theatre-making: Jamie Hale and Omar Bynon

Visual Design: Caitlyn Mawhinney and Nikki Charlesworth

Audio Design: Nicola Chang and Francesca Amewudah-Rivers

Musical Theatre: Beth Hinton-Lever and Emily Aboud

TikTok Breakout Star: Ewan Fellows and Jesse Chuku

Congratulations to these incredible talents!

There were also some thrilling performances during the stream. The first was Heart of Stone from SIX sung by Collette Guitart, Cherelle Jay, Zara MacIntosh, and Hana Stewart, from the West End and Tour casts of SIX. 

Sam Tutty gave a solo performance of Waving Through A Window from Dear Evan Hansen.

Later in the show, The Grad Fest gave an ensemble performance of I'm A Star, by Scott Alan.

The final performance of the evening was Out of the Darkness from Everybody's Talking About Jamie performed by Layton Williams and Noah Thomas.

Watch the complete stream of the Future Theatre Fund.

Lynn Nottage to Announce Gender and Racial Equity Initiative at Women's Day on Broadway

Women of Broadway have announced that the registration is now open for Women's Day on Broadway, the annual conference for women theatre makers and industry professionals. The free event will be held Friday, March 12th at 6pm GMT / 1pm EST, with all of the programming delivered virtually around the globe. All gender identities and expressions are welcome.

As part of the event, Lynn Nottage, two-time Pulitzer-winning playwright, is expected to announce an initiative to honour the legacy of pioneering playwright Lorraine Hansberry, writer of A Raisin in the Sun. Complete details are not yet available but Women of Broadway shared that the program will "establish a unique opportunity to address gender and racial disparity in American theater," at a national level.  The initiative is supported by The Lillys, an organisation celebrating, supporting, and advocating for women theater artists and gender parity at all levels of theatrical production, for which Nottage serves on the board. 

Last year's Women's Day on Broadway event was held on March 11, 2020, with Hillary Clinton as the Keynote Speaker, one day prior to the Broadway shutdown due to the escalating coronavirus pandemic. Anne Quart, SVP Production & Co-Producer, Disney Theatrical Productions commented, “This year has been unimaginably difficult for our community, who were suddenly cut off from not just their livelihoods but their chosen purpose. With our theatre's still dark, we knew it was important now more than ever to gather the Women of Broadway to share our stories and inspire and refresh each other." 

If you know aspiring theatre makers who could benefit from attending the program, please let them know about the event!

Here are highlights from the 2020 Women's Day on Broadway event:

The Reunion x Girl Power, Women in Theatre & New March Artist Talks

We've got some incredible new events this month, celebrating great artistry, women in theatre, a new generation of musical theatre stars, and International Women's Day. March is Women's History Month, so in addition to these announced events we'll be sharing information about great women theatre artists and creatives throughout the month.

Our big concert event premieres 8 March at 8pm:  To celebrate International Women's Day, join us for The Reunion x Girl Power, a double feature of our streamed concerts, with a special Q&A with the artists and never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage and interviews. This special 2-hour event stars Aimie Atkinson, Alexia McIntosh, Grace Mouat, Jarneia Richard-Noel, Maiya Quansah-Breed, Millie O’Connell, and Natalie Paris, seven of the UK's top vocal powerhouses who originally met as the original West End queens of the musical Six. Tickets for the double-feature are £15 and include the interval Q&A. Purchasers have on demand access to the concerts for one week.   

The free-to-view informal chat series Thespie Thursdays also continues, this month featuring women theatre artists that span a variety of disciplines:

Lucy Moss (4 March) - co-creator of the musical SIX, and director of Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical, developed collaboratively across the TikTok video platform

Danielle Tarento (11 March) - theatre producer and casting professional focusing mostly on musical theatre

Olissa Rogers (18 March) - casting director covering stage and screen

Hannah Hauer-King (25 March) - stage director of theatre, comedy, cabaret, and musicals, and head of the all-women theatre company Damsel Productions

We've also pulled together new instalments of our In the Room series of free artist talks. In the Room comprises conversations with performers and creators and about writing, rehearsal, and collaboration. Our guests include:

Thespie News