Arts of the UK 2020: Theatre Support Fund + Raises £250,000 For Charities

LONDON – After phenomenal public demand for ‘The Show Must Go On!’ t-shirts, Theatre Support Fund + has reached an incredible milestone by raising a huge quarter of a million pounds for Acting For Others, The Fleabag Support Fund and NHS COVID-19 Urgent Appeal. Theatre Support Fund + was set up eight weeks ago by theatre industry workers Chris Marcus and Damien Stanton who wanted to form an initiative … Continue reading Arts of the UK 2020: Theatre Support Fund + Raises £250,000 For Charities

Arts of the UK 2020: Bard In The Yard by Will & Co

LONDON – What if Shakespeare had undergone a quarantine back in the 1600s? Award-winning company Will & Co is here to do just that, as they imagine the Bard himself stuck at home during a plague in London in Bard In The Yard. Presented as a 40-minute long socially distanced one-person show across private gardens, courtyards, parks and outdoor spaces of London, Bard in the Yard sees Shakespeare … Continue reading Arts of the UK 2020: Bard In The Yard by Will & Co

Arts of the UK 2020: World’s longest running play The Mousetrap’s West End re-opening delayed

LONDON – Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap – the longest running show in the world, which had been due to resume performances at The St Martin’s Theatre on Friday 23rd October – is to have its reopening postponed. Adam Spiegel, the producer of The Mousetrap, said: “In view of the current uncertainty and with greater restrictions looming for London, I have had to make the difficult … Continue reading Arts of the UK 2020: World’s longest running play The Mousetrap’s West End re-opening delayed

Arts of the UK 2020: West End stars unite for special Godspell 50th Anniversary concert

LONDON – Prepare ye the way of Godspell in concert! Theatrical legends will come together to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Godspell in an exciting online concert experience. Ruthie Henshall (Chicago; Billy Elliot), and Darren Day (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat; Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) will return to reprise their roles from the 1993 cast recording; they will be joined by Sam Tutty (Dear … Continue reading Arts of the UK 2020: West End stars unite for special Godspell 50th Anniversary concert

Arts of the UK 2020: West End Musical Brunch Turns Into West End Musical Drive-In

LONDON – West End Musical Brunch, the UK’s biggest musical theatre party, is going to the drive-in this summer for a socially distanced musical theatre celebration, West End Musical Drive-In, bringing West End superstars direct to your cars. Stage sensations Kerry Ellis (Wicked; We Will Rock You), Alice Fearn (Wicked; Come From Away) and Jon Robyns (Les Miserables; Hamilton) will launch the outdoor performance spectacular … Continue reading Arts of the UK 2020: West End Musical Brunch Turns Into West End Musical Drive-In

Arts of the UK 2020: Tales from the Front Line by Talawa Theatre Company

LONDON – Talawa Theatre Company are creating an online experience featuring six brand new short pieces using verbatim interviews from Black key and frontline workers which explore the historic moment of the Covid-19 crisis and its impact on them. The pandemic has had a starkly divergent impact on communities; Black people are four times more likely to die from Covid-19, according to Public Health England’s … Continue reading Arts of the UK 2020: Tales from the Front Line by Talawa Theatre Company

Arts of the UK 2020: Over 50% of charity-run small theatres could fail in the next 3 months without government support

LONDON – Due to the COVID-19 crisis and temporary closures of theatres, 57% of small theatres in the UK could fail without government support. Theatres Trust warns that as many as 136 small local theatre operators could go into administration in the next three months. In response, Theatres Trust has announced a package of additional support for small theatres to help them survive the impact of … Continue reading Arts of the UK 2020: Over 50% of charity-run small theatres could fail in the next 3 months without government support

Arts of the UK 2020: HighTide’s Lighthouse Programme excels as it supports freelance artists in lockdown

LONDON – In these uncertain times, HighTide, as an artist-led National Portfolio organisation, are committed to supporting artists and have already engaged with over 150 artists through their Lighthouse Programme. Over the last three months, 53% of the company’s expenditure (excluding staffing) has gone towards the creative fees of the 30 freelance staff engaged during the lockdown period, 32% of these being artists of colour. … Continue reading Arts of the UK 2020: HighTide’s Lighthouse Programme excels as it supports freelance artists in lockdown

Arts of the UK 2020: Invisible Music – an immersive and contemporary digital meditation on disability

LONDON –  Platform 4’s acclaimed live event, Invisible Music, has been transformed into a new digital piece of work, blending film and soundscape to create an immersive and intimate meditation on hearing loss. Revitalising their gig-theatre roots in an all-encompassing aural headphone experience, this digital world premiere hopes to raise awareness for the 12 million individuals in the UK with hearing difficulties by exploring the … Continue reading Arts of the UK 2020: Invisible Music – an immersive and contemporary digital meditation on disability

Arts of the UK 2020: Damsel Outdoors by Damsel Productions

LONDON –  Creating new possibilities of bringing live theatre to audiences in these challenging times, Damsel Productions presents Damsel Outdoors, a project that embraces theatre and performance outside. The pieces staged could be scenes, monologues, music, poetry and beyond – the only requirement is that the piece is enhanced by being outdoors, not hindered. It is a chance for the artists to explore the creative … Continue reading Arts of the UK 2020: Damsel Outdoors by Damsel Productions