West End theatres have been closed for the best part of a year. Although audiences can’t flock to London to enjoy the latest theatre openings, theatre streams have now become more popular than ever. Theatregoers are now making their own West End experiences from home with the wide selection of shows available, and we’ve got you covered for the theatre shows to watch indoors.
Here’s a list of all the London shows and regional productions that are streaming online now. For this list, we’ve included all streaming productions that are premiering online, listed in alphabetical order.
Where can I stream theatre shows?
Prior to when theatres closed in March, there were limited services available, purely dedicated to streaming West End and Broadway shows. Now, there’s a plethora of streaming websites, collectively housing thousands of options out there for audience members of all age. Here’s just a few theatre streaming recommendations.
- National Theatre at Home: Throughout 2020, the National Theatre had millions of viewers glued to their computer screens, watching acclaimed productions from recent years. In December 2020, the National Theatre then launched National Theatre at Home, a dedicated service to NT Live shows. So far, there’s over a dozen shows, including Amadeus, Medea, and Yerma. Watch National Theatre at Home shows here.
- Globe Player: Sadly, we can’t visit Shakespeare’s Globe right now. However, audiences can still get the best of the Bard thanks to Globe Player. As well as streaming Shakespeare plays, there’s interviews with British actors like Judi Dench and Tom Hiddleston to whet your appetitie.
- Netflix: Yes, the worldwide streaming service has enough theatre content to get you through a million lockdowns (hopefully that’s not the case). New releases drop monthly too, with recent films including Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and The Prom.
When can I stream theatre shows?
It’s important to note that all productions have different ways in which you can watch them. Here’s some handy tips to make sure you understand the key differences between “streamed theatre” and “livestreams”.
- A livestreamed theatre production is a performance that is taking place live when you are watching. Livestreamed theatre typically takes place at a specific time, where audiences can book a time slot, instead of watching on demand.
- Some productions are filmed ahead of time and are typically available to watch on demand when released, making them a piece of streamed theatre. In the time that production is available, audiences can press play whenever they wish, instead of being limited to specific showtimes.
- Some theatre streams have a specific time which you have to watch by, in order to see the full production. If you’re wanting to watch a show on its final day, you’ll need to make sure you start tuning in a couple of hours before the posted end time, so you watch the entire show.
- If watching on a service like BroadwayHD or National Theatre at Home, you can decide whether to rent a specific show for a few days at a time, or be able to stream the production unlimited times.
Can I watch theatre on television?
Yes! Although viewers are restricted to watching theatre performances at specific times, there’s lots of opportunities to enjoy the best of British theatre throughout the week. Sky Arts have also made all programmes free to view for all audiences, sharing theatre for everyone. As part of their broadcasting schedule, there’s regular repeats of shows including Les Miserables, The Sound of Music and Jesus Christ Superstar, as well as the upcoming National Theatre Romeo and Juliet film.
London streaming theatre shows available to watch
After a summer engagement at the Vaudeville Theatre, the Donmar Warehous will stream all four casts in Constellations. The pairs included Sheila Atim and Ivanno Jeremiah, Peter Capaldi and Zoë Wanamaker, Omari Douglas and Russell Tovey, and Anna Maxwell Martin and Chris O’Dowd.
Available from October.
Salomé
Lazarus Theatre Company's production will be available to stream. Fresh from a smash hit run at Southwark Playhouse in August 2021 Salomé comes to the small screen for 10 streamed performances this November.
Available from 26 November - 5 December.
Regional streaming theatre shows available to watch
Check back for the latest regional streaming theatre shows to watch.
Photo credit: Man being filmed for theatre stream (Photo by Matthew Ball on Unsplash)
