You can watch these captivating theatre productions for free from your sofa - here's how
If you're a lover of theatre, there's still a way to get your fix of live acting performances without leaving the comfort of your own home.
Here are five exciting London stage productions currently streaming online that will thrill you - and provide you with a much-needed escape from the real world.
Treasure Island
National Theatre, London - streaming now, until 22 April
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Hide AdRobert Louis Stevenson’s story of murder, money and mutiny is brought to life in this stage adaptation by Bryony Lavery, recorded at the National Theatre. It’s a dark, stormy night. The stars are out. Jim, the inn-keeper’s granddaughter, opens the door to a terrifying stranger. At the old sailor’s feet sits a huge sea-chest, full of secrets. Jim invites him in – and her dangerous voyage begins. The production is suitable for ages 10 and above.
How to watch: Stream free on YouTube
The Wind in the Willows
London Palladium - streaming now
Join Ratty, Badger, Mole and the impulsive Toad as they embark on a series of riotous adventures spiralling from Toad’s insatiable need for speed. Featuring eye-poppingly striking design, exuberant choreography and a gloriously British score, The Wind In The Willows brought comedy, heart and thrills to the London Palladium for a strictly limited summer season in 2017. This new musical version was written by Julian Fellowes - the Oscar-winning screenwriter and creator of Downton Abbey, and stars Rufus Hound as the irrepressible Mr Toad.
How to watch: Stream free at willowsmusical.com
Cyprus Avenue
Royal Court - streaming now, until 26 April
Starring Stephen Rea and directed by Vicky Featherstone, this production of David Ireland’s award-winning play mixes footage performance from the 2016 Royal Court stage production with location shooting in Belfast. Eric Miller (Stephen Rea) is a Belfast Loyalist. He is experiencing a psychotic episode and mistakes his five-week old granddaughter for Gerry Adams. Generations of sectarian trauma convince him that his cultural heritage is under siege – and that he must act. The hard-hitting black comedy was awarded Best New Play at the Irish Times Theatre Awards and the James Tait Black Prize for Drama in 2017. For his portrayal of Eric, Stephen Rea won Best Actor at the Irish Times Theatre Awards 2017. Guardian critic Michael Billington hailed it as “the most shocking, subversive and violent play in London”.
How to watch: Stream free on YouTube
Amsterdam
Orange Tree Theatre, London - streaming now, until 27 April
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Hide AdThis strikingly original and audacious thriller tells of an Israeli violinist living in her trendy canal-side Amsterdam apartment and nine months pregnant. One day a mysterious unpaid gas bill from 1944 arrives. Stories of a devastating past are compellingly reconstructed to try and make sense of the present. Amsterdam is by Maya Arad Yasur, a prize-winning Israeli playwright, whose work has been produced worldwide. Time Out described the production as “a moving excavation of the tensions surging under the city’s streets”.
How to watch: Stream free on YouTube
Romeo & Juliet
Shakespeare’s Globe, London - streaming from 20 April until 3 May
Dominic Dromgoole’s 2009 production brings a new clarity to one of Shakespeare’s most famous and best-loved tragedies.
How to watch: Stream free on YouTube