Dark Theatres

By Becky Owen-Fisher

Becky is a writer, actor and theatre producer. Here, she gives her tips on accessing online theatre while our local theatres remain dark.

Usually this column is full of exciting, interesting and thought provoking shows to go and see. In these tricky times a lot of theatres and venues in the city and surrounding areas have closed to make sure their audiences and staff stay safe and well. So, what will we all do while the theatres are dark? Don’t panic! Theatremakers across the country have been coming up with brilliant and innovative solutions to make sure that audiences don’t miss out.

So, if you’re bored of Netflix, have watched your entire DVD collection, and don’t know where to look next for entertainment, stop right here and let me point you in the direction of some fantastic things to see.

I am the Producer of Lamphouse Theatre, we’re a Peterborough based company and unfortunately have had to postpone several upcoming shows and a tour. But we won’t be defeated. We are just about to launch Lamphouse On Demand. You’ll be able to sign up online, just like Netflix, and watch and download a fantastic selection of our previous shows, including the ever popular Suitcase Shakespeare and This Is Peterborough; our one hour romp about the history of our marvellous city.

We will also be releasing weekly episodes, podcasts and skits to keep you entertained during the coming months. Take a look at what we’ve got on offer at lamphousetheatre.co.uk - there’s something on there for the whole family!

Theatremakers across the country have been coming up with brilliant and innovative solutions to make sure that audiences don’t miss out.

Once you’ve exhausted Lamphouse’s collection you can also sign up to Digital Theatre - digitaltheatre.com which is a subscription service that allows you to watch loads of quality professional plays from theatres all across the country.

You can also watch classic theatre from the RSC, the west end and the Globe at marquee.tv. This is another subscription service online that gives you access to some incredible performances. There will be tons of other services like this popping up over the months and many people are looking into using Zoom and other apps to share their shows. Keep your eyes peeled on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for further announcements from us and other companies.

If you have booked tickets to a show that has been postponed, or cancelled, and you can afford it, I’d urge you to donate the ticket cost back to the company instead of asking for a refund. These sorts of gestures will help small companies keep ticking over as they struggle to cope without performances and live audiences. In a few months time we’ll all be able to emerge into the world again, bleary eye’d and ready for some live theatre. And when we do, there’ll be some incredible stuff just waiting to be seen. Keep your eyes out for announcements from Lamphouse Theatre, Peterborough Mask Theatre and Westwood Musical Society concerning re-scheduling of their recently postponed events. In the meantime, happy watching and we’ll see you soon!

Dark theatres