Streaming Theatre to your home

Sunset Boulevard - Curve at Home

 As Theatre was plunged into darkness again by tier 3\4 restrictions, some producers rushed to capture performances for streaming to audiences to seek some return on their risk taking of producing at all in these circumstances. But none can have embraced the opportunity as excitingly and innovatively as Nikolai Foster has in directing the Curve Leicester production of Sunset Boulevard which is available until 9th January.

Sumptuously and boldly staged within the two Curve theatre spaces opened up into one large empty auditorium, with a band of sixteen playing on the stage of the studio and shot with seven cameras, it demonstrates how the small screen presentation of theatre can be every bit as exciting and engaging as a live show. The production seems perfectly judged for our time reminding the audiences of the empty venues around the country by turning the whole space into a beautifully and atmospherically lit (by Ben Cracknel) sound stage from Paramount studios in 1949. The roaming closeup cameras are often caught in shot reinforcing the cinematic backstory of Norma Desmond.

 The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical with lyrics by Christopher Hampton and Don Black tells the story of the former silent movie star (who claims to have made Paramount Studios) and now lives in splendid isolation at 10086 Sunset Boulevard protected and sheltered from reality by her butler and former husband (and director of her early films) Max. Ria Jones, who originated the role of Norma in 1991 is wonderful giving a captivating performance with powerful vocals in delivering the melancholic melodies and portraying the faded glory of the star.

 Opposite her Adam Pearce is magnificent as Max with his deep operatic baritone voice cosseting Norma, hiding the truths, and allowing her to wallow in past glories and impossible dreams. Danny Mac is excellent as Joe Gillis, the out of work scriptwriter who Norma virtually imprisons in Sunset Boulevard to edit her script of Salome while falling in love with Betty Schaefer (Molly Lynch) . They provide a delightful contrast with the overpowering presence of Norma and Max.

 Lloyd Webbers music with its repeated refrains and reprised songs has many highlights. "Girl meets Boy”, "Mad about the Boy”, "Perfect Year”, "Sunset Boulevard" and "Too much in love to care" are all great emotional songs. "The Lady's paying" provides a bit of comic relief with an amusingly choreographed routine of tailors by Lee Proud. The most magical moment came in "Paramount conversations" when Norma returns to the studio after a twenty-year absence to Studio 18 and recognises the Follow spot operator and the spot lights her up.

 I loved this musical when I saw Craig Revel Horwood's production using actor musicians at the Harold Pinter Theatre in 2008 which so cleverly integrated the music, movement and story into a flowing show that enhanced the music. However, this production is just as emotionally engaging and visually appealing with its clever use of grainy video to scene change, imaginative use of the building to set the locations and four central performances that are perfectly judged. It shows what can be achieved with a highly creative team, a decent budget to capture and a strong cast and deserves to succeed as an online stream. I hope it gets extended beyond the 9th January so more can see it. 

Nick Wayne

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

Home Theatre

It is a strange time for everybody. For me I have gone from seeing an average of over 3 live shows a week throughout 2019 to seeing none since 12^th March and while I miss the live experience my sympathies are with all the creatives, casts and stage management teams who have seen their shows close prematurely or have gone in to an unspecified period of suspension. However, the response of some of these to creatively embrace streaming technologies and give audiences a “live experience” is amazing and exciting and with SMART TV technology you can watch with ease on a large screen in your living room.

How many others are escaping the tedious fare of endless Coronavirus investigations and repeat broadcasts from the traditional channels of ITV and BBC to enjoy these fresh innovative experiences?  Even the technologically limited are finally understanding what the younger generations have been saying for a while now that BBC and ITV fail to address the way they want to watch shows.


All these producers and casts deserve FIVE stars for their creative efforts although the technical quality does vary depending on the method of capture and distribution. In my ratings below I reflect the technical quality of the capture and distribution of what I have seen so far.

Of course, nothing can beat a captured for NT Live Cinema release such as One Man two guvnors or Lloyd Webber’s the outstanding Jesus Christ Superstar arena concert captured for DVD which are both stunning pieces of theatre but you have to applaud the Theatre Café concerts which got to air so quickly with some good West End names or the quirky innovation of Robert Myles The Show must go on, a weekly series of rehearsed Shakespeare readings with a global cast of actors connecting via an clever use of Zoom.

So, tune in over the coming weeks and support their endeavours with your virtual applause and donations and who knows we may be experiencing the emergence of a whole new genre of Live entertainment.

Title	Producer	Platform	Price	Technical rating
Watched content so far
Showstoppers	Showstoppers	Facebook live	Free	*Chaotic fun
Eugenius!	Warwick Davis	Facebook	Free	**Looked like an archive copy
Cassidy Janson	Theatre Café Lambert Jackson	Geninet	£7.50 per view	*** Ok but back of her head for 2 songs!
Steph Parry	Theatre Café	Geninet	£7.50 per view	*** Simple and fun
Kelly Mathieson	Theatre Cafe	Geninet	£7.50 per view	**** Excellent quality
Luke Jordan Cage	Theatre café	Geninet	£7.50 per view	*lip sync problems
Sophie Issacs	Theatre café	Geninet	£7.50 per view	*Messed up start
Newsies	Disney	Disney +	£60 p.a.	****Needs to be shorter
Wind in the willows	Broadway HD	Willowsmuiscal.com	Donate	**** Whimsical fun
-One Man 2 Guvnors -Jane Eyre -Treasure Island	NT Live	You Tube	Donate	***** Excellent with titles and credits
Alice Fearn	Theatre cafe	Geninet	£7.50 per view	*** Enjoyable but cut off early
Pride and Prejudice (sort of)	David Pugh	Private Vimeo	Donate for link & password	**** Excellent
The show must go on- Complete works of Shakespeare	Robert Myles	Zoom on Youtube	Donate	*** Innovative rehearsed play readings
-Joseph -Jesus Christ Superstar (arena)	LW	You Tube	Donate	**** Good with fresh staging
Still to watch over coming weeks
Dad’s Army radio show	James Seabright	Facebook
-The Croft -The habit of Art	Original theatre company	Originaltheatreonline.com	Donation £2.50 +	*** Good capture of show
-Alfie Boe - Rufus Wainwright	Royal Albert Hall	Royalalberthall.com	Free	** Poor quality feed
Flowers for Mrs Harris	Chichester Festival theatre	Through their website
Pride and Prejudice the musical	Streaming Musicals	Streamingmusicals.com	Free on 12th April - £4.99 PPV
Royal Opera/ Royal ballet	Royal Opera/ Royal ballet	FaceBook/You Tube
Curtains	Turbine Theatre	Inplayer.com	Live on 14th April for free	** Technical issues at start
-Wild -Wonderland	Hampstead Theatre	Guardian & Theatre website
Marquee TV	RSC, Glyndebourne, ROH, Classic Spring	Through Marquee.tv	Free trial for 30 days then £8.99 per mth
Cyprus Avenue	Royal Court Theatre	Facebook, Twitter, You tube
Winter’s tale	Cheek by Jowl	You tube
Globe Player	Best of Shakespeare’s Globe;	Through Globeplayer.tv	Mixture of free & paid for
-Memoirs of an Asian Football casual - What the Butler saw -Importance of Ernest (2016)	Curve	You Tube Curve website	Donate
All the webs a stage	Theatre together Paul Virdes	Online event on 23 April	Donate
The Met Opera		Metopera.org
Into the woods	Digital Theatre	Digitaltheatre.com	£9.99 per month