As you will be aware, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all theatres, cinemas and places of entertainment are currently closed for an extended period of time.
Throughout the Arts World, there has been a huge collective effort to maintain access to the arts to all, either through online streaming of productions, operas, musicals, workshops and classes. These have been put on by venues ranging from the National Theatre and Royal Opera House in London to more local venues such as the Oxford Playhouse and Pegasus.
Antony & Cleopatra by Shakespeare, , Writer – William Shakespeare, Director – Simon Godwin, Set Designer – Hildegard Bechtler, Costume Designer – Evie Gurney, Lighting Designer – Tim Lutkin, The National Theatre, 2018, Credit: Johan Persson
We have found the sheer amount and variety of performances and activities can sometimes be quite confusing and difficult to navigate. We have therefore tried to bring as many of these together on this page in order to try and make it easier to navigate.
Whilst the majority of these are free, they are only available to a limited period of time and the screening offers might change (for example, National Theatre At Home is making available a different production every week that can be watched at any point during that week). A few of those listed below are either pay per view or subscriptions which we have indicated with a ‘£’ sign.
If you come across any arts activities that might be of interest to others, please email us on boxoffice@abingdon.org.uk so that we can add them to this page.
Stay safe and take care,
The Amey Theatre Team
(Please note, this collection is as we have come across and found information online or in articles, we can not be responsible for the content on these sites. We recommend that the suggested age guidance, where applicable, is followed).
Online Streaming:
- National Theatre at Home –
a selection of previous broadcasts, one every 7 days, available for 7 days. There is also supporting content related to each performance similar to that seen in a National Theatre Live broadcast which we frequently screen. - RSC – At Home with Shakespeare (free/£)- a selection of online resources and screenings of previous productions (including a link to a 30 day free trial on Marquee TV). There will also be links to free broadcasts on the BBC.
- Soho Theatre on Demand (free/£) – in conjunction with Phoebe Waller-Bridge and National Theatre Live, Soho Theatre are currently streaming the stage production Fleabag online for a small fee with all proceeds being donated to charity. There may also be other performances added at a later date. (Please be aware that this performance contains themes of an adult nature)
- Shakespeare’s Globe (free/£) – they have fortnightly YouTube premieres for free or you can rent or purchase other productions from their Globe Player.
- Wise Children’s Lockdown – the digital home of Wise Children (the new theatre company of award winning Emma Rice) during the lockdown. There are a series of performances, podcasts and even their own internet radio station!
- Bristol Old Vic – At Home – Bristol Old Vic Theatre have created a hub of previous performances, activities and an open stage!
- The Old Vic – Your Old Vic – The Old Vic Theatre in London is streaming several old performances, including A Monster Calls from 5 June. There is also an Education Hub and they are looking at trialing socially distanced performances.
- Royal Opera House
– a series of free streams of past productions as well as masterclasses and behind the scenes videos. There are also broadcasts as part of the BBC’s Culture in quarantine. These are also listed on this page. - Sadler Wells – Digital Stage – a page with links to several online screenings of past Ballet Performances. There are also a host of family dance workshops.
- National Dance Company Wales – Kin: Connected – National Dance Company Wales (NDCWales) has recently launched its new online programme, Kin: Connected across its website and social media channels as part of the Company’s desire to create a community for dance online with audiences, participants and the sector.
- Northern Ballet – the Northern Ballet have created a pay as you feel digital season.
Workshops
- Sadler Wells – Family Dance Workshops for young families and Company of Elders workshops for older audiences.
- Pegasus Theatre – Pegasus Theatre, based in Oxford, are releasing a series of short workshops, from dance workshops, puppet making and magic tricks on their Facebook and Instagram pages as online SPARK sessions. A new one every Tuesday at 11:00am.
- Kiln Insight – Kiln Insight is a programme of ways for you to keep in touch, learn more about, and get involved in our artistic output. From exclusive interviews, webinars and filmed content, there’s something for everyone. This website is update regularly so keep checking back!
Activities
There are a list of events, activities and workshops here specifically for with children in mind. Some of these are repeated in the other categories.
Performances
- The Wind in the Willows – The Musical (£) – a recording of the musical in the West End.
- Little Angel Theatre –
have several puppet performances on their YouTube page. - Little Red Riding Hood – Northern Ballet have created a special adaptation of this story available on iPlayer.
- Snow Mouse – Egg in Bath released their wintry 40-minute tale for the under-fours.
- A Tiger’s Tale – M6 Theatre Company present a high spirited balancing act of circus, puppetry, music and song. The performance was inspired by the book Tiger on a String by Kassie Overend. It tells the true story of a family of acrobats who travelled the world with their circus act. When WW2 broke out, they returned home, back to their small Yorkshire village, with an additional family member, Fenella, a Sumatran tiger! (Only available until 24 May)
Workshops and Activities
- Pegasus Theatre – Pegasus Theatre, based in Oxford, are releasing a series of short workshops, from dance workshops, puppet making and magic tricks on their Facebook and Instagram pages as online SPARK sessions. A new one every Tuesday at 11:00am.
- Sadler Wells – have created a series of Family Dance Workshops on their YouTube channel.
- RSC – Home Learning – a series of resources and lessons on all things Shakespeare.
- The Royal Opera House – Learning Platform
-The Royal Opera House have developed an online platform with large numbers of lessons and home learning activities including building your own Royal Opera House stage! - Homeskool Beatbox Adventures with Shlomo – Kids and their grownups worldwide will be learning incredible beatboxing skills, finding their true voice and creating songs of their own. It’s a global experiment in music and technology! They’re also aiming to raise £2,500 for the NHS Together COVID-19 Appeal. They have superstar guests to inspire you every week including Basement Jaxx, Bastille, Bill Bailey, KT Tunstall, Jason Mraz and BBC Radio 1’s Dr Radha.
- Bristol Old Vic – At Home – Bristol Old Vic Theatre have created a family arts hub full of activities and workshops.
Other (e.g. Banff Mountain Film Festival)
A little bit of everything
- BBC Arts – Culture in Quarantine – a BBC initiative to keep public access to art and culture. Their pages are regularly updated so keep checking back!
- The Culture Diary – The Culture Diary is a worldwide initiative which has another list of events and streams happening from across the world.
