11 theatrical shows to stream from home during COVID-19 isolation

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One Man, Two Guvnors (Starring James Corden): On Thursday April 2 at 11pm UAE time, London, One Man, Two Guvnors, starring James Cordon, will be livestreamed on the National Theatre’s YouTube channel and will be available to watch for one more week. New productions will follow each week, along with behind the scenes talks and cast interviews. Fired from his skiffle band, Francis Henshall becomes minder to Roscoe Crabbe, a small-time East End hood, but Roscoe is really his sister Rachel posing as her own dead brother, who’s been killed by her boyfriend Stanley Stubbers. Francis takes a second job with one Stanley Stubbers, who is hiding from the police and waiting to be reunited with Rachel. Madcap and mayhem ensues. On April 9, catch Jane Eyre by Sally Cookson; April 16 watch Treasure Island by Bryony Lavery; on April 23 see Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare. Go to Nationaltheatre.org.uk for details.

Into the Woods (Starring Hannah Waddingham): Originally performed in London’s Regents Park, Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods weaves together many famous fairy tales in a story of family, love, growing up and the hazy areas between right and wrong. The production was captured by Digital Theatre live at London’s Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and was directed by Timothy Sheader. You can subscribe to Digital Theatre to view productions for 7.99 British Pounds.

Romeo and Juliet (2014) (Starring: Orlando Bloom and Condola Rashad): The digitally captured production of the 2013 Broadway revival of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ stars Orlando Bloom and two-time Tony-nominated Condola Rashad. The production ran for 93 performances at the Richard Rodgers Theatre and has appeared on Broadway. Set in Verona, the story of star-crossed lovers is as old as time. The performance can be streamed through a BroadwayHD subscription on Amazon for $8.99/month after a 7-day free trial.

The School for Wives (Starring Stéphane Braunschweig): Paris’s esteemed Theatre Odeon has released its 2018 production of The School for Wives, a theatrical comedy written by the seventeenth century French playwright Molière. The performance can be streamed for free online through Vimeo.

The Crucible (Starring Richard Armitage): The Crucible is a partially fictionalised telling of the Salem witch trials. Accusations of witchcraft spiral out of control and many must choose between reputation and integrity. Captured by Digital Theatre live at London’s Old Vic, The Crucible was directed by Yael Farber. The play can be rented online with a subscription to Digital Theatre to view productions for 7.99 British Pounds.

Memphis: The Broadway Musical (Starring Chad Kimball and Montego Glover): Set in the places where rock and roll was born in the 1950s, Memphis tells the fictional story of DJ Huey Calhoun, a good local boy with a passion for R&B music and Felicia Farrell, an up-and-coming African American singer that he meets one fateful night on Beale Street. Despite the objections of their loved ones, they embark on a dangerous affair. As their careers rise, the relationship is challenged by personal ambition and the pressures of an outside world unable to accept their love. The performance can be streamed through a BroadwayHD subscription on Amazon for $8.99/month after a 7-day free trial.

Oklahoma! (Starring Hugh Jackman): You thought witnessing Hugh Jackman in ‘The Greatest Showman’ was a one-off thing? The Australian star stormed the stage since the 90s, with ‘Oklahoma!’ turning into a showstopper thanks to Jackson’s performance. A Rodgers and Hammerstein show set against the backdrop of the founding of a new state, the production is directed by Trevor Nunn, choreographed by Susan Stroman, and catches the spirit of the original in a unique way. The performance can be streamed through a BroadwayHD subscription on Amazon for $8.99/month after a 7-day free trial.

Jekyll Hyde: The Musical (Starring: David Hasselhoff): The Hoff slips out of his red swimming trunks and into the title role in Jekyll Hyde: The Musical, which is described as ‘an evocative tale of love, lust, madness and murder’. Featuring music by Frank Wildhorn and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse, this musical broke house records at Broadway's Plymouth Theatre, where it ran for over four years and 1,500 performances. The performance can be streamed through a BroadwayHD subscription on Amazon for $8.99/month after a 7-day free trial.

Macbeth (Starring Anna Netrebko, Joseph Calleja, Željko Lučić, and René Pape): As part of the free Nightly Opera Streams on offer by the Met Opera until April 5, we are excited to watch Macbeth on April 4. The Shakespearean drama takes us into the Scottish highlands, were a brave general follows through on a prophecy and murders the king to seize the throne. But guilt and paranoia soon haunt him.

The Pirates of Penzance (Starring: Kevin Kline): Similar to what BroadwayHD is doing, WatchStage.com is also offering a week's free trial subscription for those of us stuck in self-isolation. Their catalogue includes ‘The Pirates of Penzance’ starring Kevin Klein and Linda Ronstadt. This Joe Papp production takes us into the life of Frederic (Rex Smith), who has spent his formative years as a junior pirate. But he plans to mark his 21st birthday by breaking free from the Pirate King (Kevin Kline) and beginning his courtship of Mabel (Linda Ronstadt). But because he was born on February 29, a date that only arrives every fourth year, Frederic must be patient for what is to come to him.

Wild (Jack Farthing and Caoilfhionn Dunne): The Hampstead Theatre at Home initiative is bringing live stream recordings to your couch with a little help from The Guardian. Shows to catch are Mike Bartlett’s Wild, Beth Steel’s Wonderland and Howard Brenton’s Drawing the Line for free. Available to watch on the Hampstead Theatre website, the three productions will be made available, on demand, over three consecutive weeks. Until April 5, Wild, directed by James Macdonald has us excited. This black comedy is inspired by the case of Edward Snowden, the American whistleblower who copied and leaked classified information from the US National Security Agency in 2013.