Lockdown laughs & quarantine culture, part 5
Time for a brand new round-up of the latest cultural events that you can enjoy from the safety of your sofa. There’s a bit of everything this week so there’s bound to be something you’re going to like the look of.
Everything here is free or under £12.00, in case you’re having a difficult time financially, but if you can donate towards some of these events or their chosen charities then please lend them some support.
Theatre
The highest profile theatre show this week is Coriolanus, starring Tom Hiddleston, filmed live on stage at the Donmar Warehouse, by National Theatre Live, in 2014. Available until 7pm UK time on Thursday 11 June, find it streaming here until then.
Unprecedented, a series of shows written and filmed in lockdown that responds to the radical way we’ve seen our world change during the coronavirus pandemic, featuring the UK’s most celebrated actors. Watch it on iPlayer.
Want a classical comedy? Shakespeare’s comedy, The Merry Wives of Windsor, filmed on Shakespeare’s most famous stage, the Globe Theatre, is available to stream until Sun 11th June.
The RSC’s 2019 production of Romeo and Juliet will be broadcast at 9pm on Sunday the 7th of June on BBC Four, and is already up on iPlayer. Find out more here.
For a hybrid of drama and music, there’s Bristol Old Vic’s acclaimed production of Handel’s Messiah, directed by Tom Morris (War Horse, Touching the Void) and performed by one of Europe’s most celebrated Baroque orchestras, The English Concert. Listen and watch here until Sun 7th June 2020.
Reasons To Be Cheerful, an alternative musical, tells a raucous 1970s coming of age tale set to the music of Ian Dury & The Blockheads, filmed at Theatre Royal Stratford East in 2017. Available until 3rd of August here.
For family-friendly viewing you can take your pick from stage performances of Lewis Caroll’s The Hunting of the Snark here, Kes (reimagined, dance) here until 18th of June, or Beauty and The Beast here until the 19th of June. There’s also The Old Vic’s acclaimed production of A Monster Calls, featuring the original cast, going live at 7pm on Friday 5th June and available to watch here until Thursday 11 June.
Music
Singer songwriter Laura Marling is performing a live solo concert from Union Chapel in London at 8pm on Saturday 6th June for fans in the UK and Europe, with proceeds going to The Trussell Trust and Refuge. Tickets from £12.00 here.
Comedy
Six Ross Noble live show recordings from his Brain Dump 2016/2017 Tour are going up on Soho Theatre on Demand, starting Friday 5th June 2020. They’re £4.00 to watch, with half the proceeds going to charity, and they’re available here.
Cinema
The We Are One online film festival is the online incorporation of over 20 international festivals, including Cannes and Sundance and many others. They’re currently streaming a range of talks, short films, animations and movies for you to watch on YouTube with events taking place until the 7th of June and you can find them for free right here.
That’s it for our whistlestop tour of all things stage and screen for this week – lots in the pipeline for next weekend too, so see you then.