LATEST ONLINE REVIEWS
Read reviews here
With the pandemic seemingly far behind us, there is a whole wealth of online material which has built up into a considerable archive – the vast majority of which I have reviewed in my blog 2nd From Bottom. This listing attempts to collate everything into one place and may prove useful going forward for students of the genre and as a way of providing a theatre going experience for those medically, geographically or economically challenged. Increasingly its being realized that such material can be charged for but much of it is still free to view. It would be nice, though, if you could donate a few coppers to the artists, companies and theatres that has brought us this bonanza of goodies; times have been rather hard for them over the last couple of years.
This list will be updated every two months. For periodic updates in between, follow @johnchapman398 on Twitter or @2ndFromBottom on Facebook
Please scroll to the bottom of this page for a downloadable PDF of the list
This list was posted on 01/02/23 – Any updates since are marked *
For a separately curated list for Young People’s Online Theatre please click here
Subscription/streaming services
Scenesaver Devised long before lockdown, this is a site which curates shows from smaller venues and has an eclectic and expanding list of material. Nominations for and winners of OnComms (commendations for online productions) are particularly highlighted
Online Fringe Festival (OFF) A website with a permanent small collection dedicated to streaming shows from new and emerging theatre artists
Online@TheSpaceUK One of the mainstays of the Edinburgh Fringe Online, this platform has four complete seasons of new work and over 100 shows available to view
National Theatre At Home The National’s streaming service has a number of classy productions and more added each month. Various rental and subscription options available
Marquee TV A healthy selection of theatre, dance and opera performances including many very recent Shakespeare productions from the RSC, a smaller selection of other Shakespeare plays from the Donmar and the Globe, 4 Oscar Wilde plays and a range of backstage documentaries
Broadway HD Good for musicals – there’s about 40 of them. A subscription service but offers a free trial
Digital Theatre A website retaining all sorts of goodies as ongoing content. Offers individual rental or a monthly subscription
Broadway On Demand A streaming platform offering a mix of livestream events, on demand content and educational resources
NOW TV The online catch up service for Sky (including Sky Arts) has an eclectic mix of drama and musicals
Stellar Primarily a ticketing website but has a rolling programme of livestreamed and on demand events some of which are theatre based
Globe Player The Globe’s online platform has about 75 productions available (so, basically the entire Shakespeare canon plus), some of which are from worldwide visiting companies. Hunker down for the long haul and do the “Complete Works”
On The Boards TV A highly eclectic mix of international performance art is the mark of this website
Kanopy An international streaming service – all you need is a valid public library card
Dramox A platform specialising in all aspects of European theatre with material which comes from over 100 different venues
Britbox Although the streaming site is mostly about television, you can have a “Bard fest” with 26 titles from the RSC and 3 more from the Donmar Warehouse. Also has Laurence Olivier Presents, a series of six plays recorded in the late 1970s
Amazon Prime Video Various theatrical goodies are scattered throughout the site including Ian McKellen’s one man show, Phoebe Waller Bridge in the original Fleabag, Benedict Cumberbatch as Hamlet and musicals Pippin and Rent
LIVR The USP of this theatre streaming site is that everything comes recorded in 3600 virtual reality; they will send you a free VR headset when you subscribe
Intelligence2 A whole posse of top drawer actors give dramatic readings as they appear in various debates, talks and discussions
Blackeyed Theatre Their Online For Schools scheme includes has shows based on popular texts
Starkid Productions USA based youth focused musicals which have their own very dedicated following. Parodies are high on the agenda
The Shows Must Go On During lockdowns Andrew Lloyd Webber’s channel ran a new show each week Friday night and periodically streamed plays too. A number of musicals can still be rented
Living Record Festival An annual digital theatre festival launched in the middle of lockdown
Venues
Royal Shakespeare Company The RSC periodically streams some of its shows. It also has a wealth of past content available through Marquee TV and Britbox (see above)
Young Vic Digital The venue’s Best Seat In Your House initiative guarantees that each of their live productions will also be offered digitally on selected dates. There is also a dedicated digital section with some interesting short pieces
Stratford Shakespeare Festival That’s Stratford in Ontario (not upon-Avon). They offer up 12 different Shakespeare plays. Productions are rentable
Gate Theatre The small West London theatre is offering some critically acclaimed shows from its archive
Theatro Technis The now defunct community venue in Camden (taken over by The Gate Theatre above) retains several full length productions on its You Tube channel
The Space The venue on London’s Isle of Dogs has a consistently evolving programme of livestreamed and on demand material
Chickenshed The young people’s theatre’s productions feature literally hundreds of performers
Alphabetti Theatre has a good deal of online content in both video and audio forms
Pentabus Theatre The Shropshire Theatre has a number of podcasts, micro plays, films and other fascinating digital material available on demand
Finborough Theatre The west London venue has regularly streamed online content
Playmakers
The Show Must Go Online A very special project which really took off worldwide. Zoom performances of every Shakespeare play – one per week – in the order in which they were written featuring an international cast. All 36 plays (plus some bonus extras) remain available on You Tube
Spymonkey The comedy genius of this group will really give you a lift and remains as a fitting tribute to Stephan Kreiss who died recently. Many of their shows are available on demand for a small fee
Original Theatre Company This constantly enterprising company has an evolving mix of rereleased plays and new material which changes frequently
Mischief Theatre Mischief’s shows Peter Pan Goes Wrong and A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong are available to rent on Amazon, Google and several other platforms. Their TV shows are also periodically available on BBC iPlayer
Imitating The Dog The innovative company which works on drama pieces and “sited work” released a new production every two weeks during the first lockdown and has added other material since
The Beast Will Rise Philip Ridley’s play The Beast Of Blue Yonder was set to open in April 2020. Instead a series of 15 monologues was gradually released, performed by his intended cast. They range in subject matter and length (from 3 minutes to an hour) but all have the writer’s individual stamp on them
Showstopper! The Improvised Musical A one off streamed performance on Facebook spontaneously recorded on the night theatres first closed for the pandemic
Getting Better Slowly A play by Adam Pownall tells the story of the writer’s illness (Guillain Barré Syndrome) through a creative collision of new writing, verbatim accounts, sound and movement
Northern Comedy Theatre Their highly entertaining Doing… series and a number of other projects were released through Scenesaver (see above)
Theater In Quarantine And now for something completely different – a one person theatre space constructed out of a 4x8x2 closet
Daniel Bye Theatre maker Daniel Bye always pushes the boundaries and showcases his pieces on his website
Druid Theatre Company J.M Synge’s classic plays are presented by the renowned Irish Company
Ensemble Theatre of Cleveland have two classic plays by Eugene O’Neill on offer as well as an adaptation of Antoine De Saint-Exupery’s The Little Prince
Clout Theatre Badged by one reviewer as “absurdist unhinged physical theatre”; choose from two full length pieces
Love In The Lockdown A nine part series about an online relationship starring Rachel Stirling and Alec Newman
Chronic Insanity The prolific Nottinghamshire group set themselves a steep challenge every year with their project 12 Plays In 12 Months. Some of these are still available online
Gecko The renowned international dance theatre troupe have several shows on You Tube
Clown Funeral The physical theatre troupe have three pieces available on their You Tube channel. Darkly comic shows rooted in physicality, incorporating clowning and mime
Threedumb Theatre created live streamed work via Facebook and then put productions on You Tube. Strong on classic horror tales
Severed Heads American playwright Justin McDevitt’s six monologues of mystery and terror where the protagonists lose their (metaphorical) heads
Golden Age Theatre presents Tales From The Golden Age, an eclectic series of 18 monologues written in lockdown and performed/filmed at various stages of the pandemic
10 Minutes To… Call Home A collection of nine short plays from Live Theatre’s Live Wired digital programme. The 5 Plays Of Christmas is a further seasonal collection
Off The Page In 2014, The Royal Court in collaboration with Guardian journalists ran a series of micro plays presenting snapshots of the state of the nation
Heads Up Written and performed by Kieran Hurley this takes the end of the world as we know it as its starting point
Grenfell Filmed version of a verbatim drama on the 5th anniversary of the tragedy
Dante Or Die This inventive company have kept pushing the boundaries of online theatre
Talking Hands Deafinitely Theatre, taking its cue from Alan Bennett, hosts a series of monologues by deaf writers
Audio material
Anno Domino A full length audio play written and directed by Alan Ayckbourn and performed by himself and his wife, Heather Stoney. They play eight different roles of a variety of ages
Shipwreck Michael Billington described this as “a play that unpicks the messy demise of democracy”. One of the characters is a certain Donald J. Trump – now, who was he again?
Placeprints A cycle of ten short audio plays by David Rudkin on the theme of the British landscape featuring performers such as Juliet Stevenson, Toby Jones, Josie Lawrence, Stephen Rea and Michael Pennington
Digital Caravan Theatre Micro audio plays from Small Truth Theatre recorded in their touring caravan. Latest edition is titled “0ur Voices”. BSL film versions also available
Written On The Waves 45 North’s series of audio dramas took risks with both form and content
Earwig Tron Theatre have six audio drama podcasts by Scottish writers incorporating text, sound design and music
Harpy Productions specialise in dramatised horror stories
Humane A six-part audio drama from True Name Theatre based on a true story about an Essex town protesting about animal rights
Darkfield Radio Inventive and immersive audio pieces with a tendency towards clever twists
The York Mystery Plays A six part broadcast series from York Theatre Royal via BBC Sounds of the famous medieval cycle
The Scarlet Cross A short audio play about the Great Plague (no, not that one) performed by Anton Lesser
Fully Amplified A seven part drama/documentary podcast from Futures Theatre giving a voice to marginalised groups of women and people from the non-binary community
Alfie James Productions There’s half a dozen audio plays on this site borne out of community based projects
A Theater In The Dark Audio plays forged in the crucible of live performance
The Mystery Of Syleham Manor Who are the dinner guests waiting for their meal? Why can’t the new governess meet the children? And why are there noises coming from the attic? Comedy horror in this audio piece from Unscene Suffolk
Strange Meeting/Remembrance Two geo-located audio dramas from Tower Theatre. They will only work if you are in Abney Park Cemetery in north London but, if you are, they are well worth your time
5 Women – Now & Then Tower Theatre’s three part drama podcast which questions how much has changed over the last 200 years
Hear Myself Think Five short audio pieces centred on simple activities to help you engage with your own well being
Twits In Love With some of the sensibility of Oscar Wilde and set in an alternate reality, this podcast series is badged as “a steampunk distraction”
Gigglemug Sounds The proposed trilogy’s titles (e.g. Murder On the 12:32 To Bristol) probably tell you all you need to know
Fizzy Sherbet This podcast, which acts as an international platform for women writers/directors, features two seasons of half a dozen short plays each
The Waves The impact of Britain’s colonial past is examined in this five episode podcast from Tamasha Theatre
Immersive/Interactive theatre
Swimming Home If you love both theatre and swimming then here’s a play which you can perform for yourself (following instructions) in your bathroom. You will need your phone, headphones, a swimsuit, swimming goggles and a big towel
Swamp Motel This intriguingly named group specialises in online interactive theatrical experiences in which teams solve mysteries by following clues around the internet and breaking codes
Jury Games An online virtual experience. You/fellow jurors must review the evidence, speak to the accused, and come to a conclusion
Flight Paths Inspired by the blind female performers of medieval Japan, Extant’s digital show is a radical reworking of a stage piece where you choose and navigate your own pathway
Videos on VIMEO
I Banquo & I, Peaseblossom The inimitable Tim Crouch takes a sideways look at some Shakespeare characters
The Turning Point Short drama with Benedict Cumberbatch and Matthew Marsh in Michael Dobbs’s play about a meeting between Winston Churchill and Guy Burgess
What I Heard About The World A kaleidoscope of narratives from Third Angel/mala voadora which looks at some weird facts about we humans and examines the power of storytelling. Filmed at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2012
Five Encounters On A Site Called Craigslist Yes Yes No No’s exploration of intimacy with “extreme audience participation”. An Edinburgh fringe hit in 2017. Warning! This is NOT a family friendly show!
The Beanfield Breach Theatre creates a multi-media show based on the thirtieth anniversary of the Battle of The Beanfield when police clashed with protestors at Stonehenge
The Tailor Of Inverness A solo piece from Dogstar written and performed by Matthew Zajac about his own father and all victims of war and enforced migration
Only The Brave Based on true events this musical is set in the run up to the D-Day landings about a group of soldiers and their families and loved ones. Written by Rachel Wagstaff, with music by Matthew Brind; recorded at the Wales Millennium Centre
Sea Wall This monologue from the pen of Simon Stephens is performed by Andrew Scott and is an extraordinary piece of work
Videos on YOU TUBE
The Winter’s Tale Cheek by Jowl’s unusual take on Shakespeare’s play performed at the Barbican in 2017
Richard II – Swinging The Lens The first all women of colour Shakespeare on a UK stage (2019) – in the Sam Wanamaker playhouse
Macbeth This one’s really intriguing. The Folger Theatre in Washington (part of Folger Library who own the world’s largest collection of Shakespeare’s printed works) mount a production which is co-directed by Teller – of Penn and Teller fame
Macbeth Or there is this legendary RSC version with Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Bob Peck and John Woodvine in the cast. Directed by Trevor Nunn
Henry V This production of Shakespeare’s history play comes from The Barn in Cirencester and is given a modern slant
I, Cinna (The Poet) Another of Tim Crouch’s pieces about Shakespearean characters. Cinna is played by Jude Owusu – who was playing the same character in an RSC production of Julius Caesar at the time
Top Story This apocalyptic comedy by Sebastian Michael revolves around a couple of friends who spend their last seven days before the world ends watching the news, reinventing chess and putting things into perspective. During lockdown it was eerily topical
North Country First produced as a stage play in an abandoned food hall in 2016, this version was constructed solely on mobile phones in a burnt out building with no power or wifi. Highly appropriate during lockdown as a plague has wiped out most of the world’s population
Lights Over Tesco Car Park Poltergeist make puzzle-box theatre that collaborates with a live audience. This play won the Samuel French New Play Award 2018
21 Chump Street This is short but sweet – a 14 minute musical from Lin Manuel Miranda, the creator of stage phenomenon Hamilton
Myth A modern full length musical from Sam Cassidy which boldly retells the ancient myth of Orpheus and his quest to the underworld by putting it in a rock concert setting
Ghost Quartet Dave Molloy has written an unusual and intoxicating song cycle of love, loss and spirits – of both the spectral and alcoholic kind
Timpson, The Musical A musical (owing a big debt to Romeo and Juliet) from Gigglemug about the formation of the key cutting High Street chain – no really!
Avenue Q The one about the puppets which isn’t Sesame Street or The Muppets. Filmed at the Midvale Theatre, Utah – no me neither!
Cookies Emily Jenkins’ play was commissioned as part of the Cyberscene Project; an theatre initiative which supports the health and well-being of young people affected by cyber bullying and other online issues
Girls Like That Evan Placey’s play is also about cyberbullying. It follows a group of schoolgirls reacting as one of their peers has naked photos of themselves leaked online
Bed Seven With the NHS crisis currently front and centre here’s a feel good story from its early days by Simon de Cintra
National eTheatr New writing monologues (over 25 of them) written, directed and performed by participants from the UK; most of them are under 30 minutes long
The One Day Of The Year An iconic play by Alan Seymour is given the Zoom treatment by a cast of Australian and New Zealand actors. It was produced to commemorate ANZAC day during lockdown
Durham Revues Three full revues from the university team which all played at the Edinburgh Festival
Beyond The Fringe The legendary 60s revue which spearheaded the satire boom and kicked off the careers of Alan Bennett, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore and Jonathan Miller
The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (Abridged) The Bard chopped up and reassembled in zany bite size chucks by The Reduced Shakespeare Company – a real find, this one
The Tailor Made Man True story of gay Hollywood silent film star William Haines. He refused to marry Pola Negri in order to quash rumours and was then fired by Louis B. Mayer
Nine Lives Fleeing from homophobic persecution, Ishmael finds himself in Leeds where he hopes to get respite. A solo play streamed from the Arcola Theatre in 2016
No Milk For The Foxes Performed at the Camden People’s Theatre by beatboxing duo Beats & Elements, this is a hard hitting show about two security guards without much to do
The Chairs Ionesco’s absurdist masterpiece translated by Martin Crimp with two blind actors and an audio described soundscape incorporated into the performance from Extant Theatre
Jigsy A one man play by Tony Staveacre about a journeyman comedian well past his sell by date. Performed by Les Dennis at the Liverpool Royal Court
Come To Where I Am Paines Plough’s mammoth project Come To Where I’m From ran for over ten years. The digital arm of this, formed during the pandemic, visited, among other places, Newcastle, Sheffield, Derby and, in an overseas development, Australia
Stan’s Internet Café An adaptation of Robert Burton’s Anatomy Of Melancholy in 35 episodes (2 – 5 minutes each) plus a short play For Quality Purposes
Tiny Dancers The National Youth Theatre’s Playing Up Company collaborated remotely during lockdown. Their online show consists of a series of sketches about struggling to connect
Pint Sized Plays Does what it says on the tin, being short and sweet plays of all genres
The Ockenden Witch A play by Richard Margrave about the real life 16th century trial of Agnes Byllinge accused of witchcraft/incest in an Essex village
A Marvellous Party The Noel Coward Foundation presents a tribute from the stars to the work of The Master
Bubble Here’s something a bit different. This is a play by Kieran Hurley specially written to be performed online before it became an actual necessity
In A Nutshell This short piece, both funny and melancholic, imagines a time when theatres have never reopened and someone has to explain what they were for
Artemisia: Light and Shadow The life story of Artemisia Gentileschi in a one-woman multi-media show written by Nahma Sandrow
It’s True. It’s True. It’s True Verbatim theatre with a difference. Taken from court transcripts of the 1612 trial of Agostino Tassi for the rape of the young painter Artemisia Gentileschi. The play examines whether anything has changed in the last four centuries
In Camera (Huis Clos) One from the deepest vaults as Jean-Paul Sartre reminds us that hell is other people. The point of particular interest is that it stars Harold Pinter
The Rocky Horror Show The 40th anniversary show (onstage in 2015) of the mega camp horror musical which took the world by storm…All together now, “Let’s do the Time Warp again!”
Shrek: The Musical The stage version of the hit film for those who like fairy tales with attitude
Gutenberg! The Musical! Bud and Doug have come up with a novel concept – a musical about the inventor of the printing press. In a preview performance for potential backers they get to perform all the roles and sing all the songs
Take Me To The World The 90th birthday celebration show for Stephen Sondheim, produced during lockdown, has now become a fitting memorial to the musical genius
Suddenly Short Australian musical about a mother/daughter relationship in which both women have to confront personal issues; contains some full ensemble dance numbers
Cells Metta Theatre’s little gem of a short musical features Clive Rowe and Lem Knights searching for connection. Available as seven (very) short episodes or as a full half hour treat. Cells 2 is the follow up
Letters Live: From The Archive There’s more star names than you can shake several sticks at in these two special “best of” shows from The Freemason’s Hall and The Union Chapel. There’s also a separate programme which was released for International Women’s Day
Zara It’s probably best to quote Mind The Gap’s own description of this outdoor show: “A cast of over 100 disabled and non-disabled performers, cherry pickers, tanks, 3D projections and a mechanical, moving ‘baby’ that’s bigger than a double decker bus”
Metamorphosis (In Lockdown) Kafka updated as a metaphor for all our lives by Tower Theatre’s Virtual Tower
Really Want To Hurt Me Flaming Theatre presents a comedy by Ben SantaMaria about teenage heartache set in 1984
Hysterical! A Hilarious History Of Hysteria Stratford East plays host to Rebecca Buckle’s comedy lecture about a particular label placed on women 2.5 millennia ago
Touchy Five short pieces focusing on young adults negotiating their way through life. Presented by 20 Stories High as a mash up of theatre and music video
Meet Me At The Edge Wildworks hails from Cornwall where they specialise in site specific productions called “landscape theatre”. This piece has been released on film
Couples In Sean Grennan’s comedy three couples meet with their marriage guidance counsellor online. The link is to a production by Centre Stage of Greenville, South Carolina or, if you prefer click here for a version by LAMB Theatre of Sioux City, Iowa – choices, choices
WeRNotVirus A two day event hosted by the Omnibus Theatre, Clapham which aimed to shine a light on abuse directed towards people with an east/south east Asian heritage as a result of the pandemic
Orpheus The Flanagan Collective and Gobbledigook with a gig theatre story of love, death and Bruce Springsteen
The Kids Are Alright Mountview Musical Theatre graduates formed Catapult Theatre to showcase their talents in a series of musical montage videos
Shaw 2020 A channel devoted to the work of Bernard Shaw featuring some one act plays by and about the writer plus character snippets and discussion videos
549: Scots Of The Spanish Civil War Wonder Fools present an archive recording set in 1936 when 549 people joined the International Brigade becoming embroiled in a fight against fascism in Spain
The Covid 19 Monologues Elysium Theatre’s collection of short solo pieces conceived and recorded during both lockdowns
BBC iPlayer/Sounds
Lights Up BBC TV, radio, iPlayer and Sounds combined forces with theatres across the country to produce a total of 18 shows across a range of genres (NB- Not all elements have remained available)
Drama On 3 The BBC Sounds app now has well over 60 audio dramas available ranging from Ancient Greek tragedy to new writing
Pod Plays Five site specific mini audio plays in common locations which can be experienced with the benefit of 3D sound
Anything Goes A big success at the Barbican in summer 2021, led by Broadway star Sutton Foster and with tunes from the Cole Porter songbook
Skint A series of seven short monologues looking at life on the breadline
Much Ado About Nothing The RSC’s Afro-Futurist take on the Shakespeare comedy about a warring couple
Twelfth Night The Globe Theatre’s radical 2021 production is infused with Americana
The Gondoliers Classic Gilbert and Sullivan operetta pointing a finger at privilege and cronyism
Prisoner C33 Toby Stephens literally talks to himself as Oscar Wilde reflecting upon how he came to end up in Reading Gaol in this play directed by Trevor Nunn
The Duchess Of Malfi Gemma Arterton in John Webster’s revenge tragedy from a candlelit Sam Wanamaker Theatre (Globe)
Isla A dark comedy by Tim Price focusing on the relationship between one man and his smart speaker
The Play What I Wrote Sean Foley and Hamish McColl’s homage to double acts generally and Morecambe and Wise in particular. Guest stars Tom HiddlestoneA Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story Mark Gatiss’s adaptation closely follows the original but with plenty of theatrical invention
*Tartuffe The RSC’s 2018 reworking of Moliere’s classic resets the play in the West Midlands creating a bubbling Brummie comedy
To download a PDF of the Theatre Online list, click link below
Theatre Online download Feb 2023
For an index of all Theatre Online reviews (including those which are no longer streaming) please click here
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