There is something of an irony that, at the turn of the year, many of us have oodles of free time but the entertainment on offer has little appeal.
There are only so many stage adaptations of A Christmas Carol or pantomimes that the average theatregoer can stomach, while TV tends to restrict itself to old movies, specials that are not special and rehashes of the year that many of us might prefer to forget.
Happily, partly as a response to the pandemic, there are now some enticing online alternatives that readers may wish to try out over the next couple of weeks and beyond.
Increasingly, major players are entering the online market, offering high quality recordings of important stage productions and this seemed an appropriate time to take a brief overview of some of the best.
In almost every case, subscribers can choose the platform on which they want to watch, whether a phone, a tablet or even a giant TV screen.
Over the course of next year, we will also take a look at some of these in greater depth.
National Theatre at Home
This one does what it says on the tin and then adds in considerably more.
It offers a good selection of productions from the National, old and new, and keeps a reasonable churn.
Films are presented in HD resolution and the film direction almost always ensures that the experience mirrors that in the theatre, although in some ways it is far better, since you can look right into the eyes of performers at crucial moments.
In addition to productions from the home team, there are also selected videos from theatres such as the Donmar, the Young Vic and the Old Vic to ensure even greater variety.
At £9.99 for one month or £99.99 for a year, most will feel that they get great value for money given the wide selection of productions on offer.
Marquee TV
The offering from Marquee TV is in some ways much wider, since it not only covers theatre but also dance, opera and music with assorted resolutions up to HD.
The quid pro quo is that the theatre selection is generally not as wide as other platforms and tends to be more dated.
For many theatre lovers, the main strength will be in a concentration on the work of Shakespeare, including a broad selection of work from the RSC, although little of this comes from the last few years.
In addition, there are a handful of recordings from other venues such as Shakespeare’s Globe, the Royal Opera House and Sadler’s Wells.
Looking more widely, there is a range of presentations across the cultural range from assorted companies around the world.
A subscription costs just £8.99 for one month or £89.99 for year.
BBC iPlayer
While this resource was never designed to concentrate on theatre work, inevitably, given its great breadth, there is a fair amount of interest in our area and, as a great bonus, it is free.
In particular, the BBC has recently put together a nice selection of Shakespeare-linked presentations to complement the 400th anniversary of first Folio publication. The pick for most will be both seasons of The Hollow Crown.
One of the big plus points of online theatre is that it is not limited to our own shores. There is much available from around the world, of which two companies lead the pack.
Stratford Festival – Stratfest@home
Anyone who follows reviews on BTG will be well aware that, when it comes to Shakespeare, this critic regards Stratford Festival in Ontario as unbeatable.
Whether they have discovered archive recordings from decades ago or filmed work from recent seasons, the company’s concentration on respecting Shakespeare’s intentions and ensuring audience enjoyment is second to none. This is complemented by films of new plays, often written with an underlying Shakespearean theme in mind.
In addition, their portal brings together some of the best work from other Canadian companies and has a series of documentaries that are intended to be educational but will often also prove entertaining.
The film editing is excellent and, as a bonus, many productions are available in every resolution up to the industry-leading 4K.
Pricing is extremely competitive at £6.44 per month or £64.47 for an annual subscription.
Metropolitan Opera House – Met Opera on Demand
Nobody can compete with the 850 operatic performances available from Met Opera on Demand.
These range from the historic to right up-to-date. In every case, the operas are presented in HD format and also come with subtitles, which mirrors the experience in the opera house itself.
While some of the vintage recordings have a tendency to show their age, as a quid pro quo, viewers get the opportunity to watch some of the greatest performers of the last half-century and more in the comfort of their own homes.
The annual cost is $149.99, while the monthly charge is $14.99.