Scenes for Survival, Nationaltheatrescotland.com
Many theatres have formed a defiant online response to the pandemic, none more so than the National Theatre of Scotland which has launched, in association with the BBC, an ambitious roster of short scenes created from isolation. Artistic director Jackie Wylie says the crisis is an opportunity to re-examine the potential of theatre. Many leading Scottish theatres are involved, as are writers David Greig, Val McDermid, Denise Mina and Ian Rankin; and actors Brian Cox and Alan Cumming.
Love’s Labour’s Lost & Love’s Labour’s Won, Marquee.tv
The streaming service Marquee.tv, formed in London and New York four years ago, offers a free trial before you choose a payment plan. Their programme includes dance, opera, theatre and arts documentaries. The RSC’s inspired pairing of Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado About Nothing (re-titled Love’s Labour’s Won) on either side of the Great War was one of the best things at Stratford-upon-Avon in recent years. Christopher Luscombe’s joyous productions are led by Edward Bennett and Michelle Terry as Berowne/Benedick and Rosaline/Beatrice.
Wise Children, BBC iPlayer
Angela Carter’s novel is a love letter to the theatre, and its bawdy, mischievous exuberance was brilliantly conveyed in Emma Rice’s 2018 co-production with the Old Vic, Belgrade Coventry, Oxford Playhouse and York Theatre Royal, below. Filmed by The Space, a digital agency formed by the Arts Council and the BBC, the show is on through May and June.
