The best theatre to stream this month: That Face, Macbeth and Dance Umbrella
That Face
The first major revival of Polly Stenham’s heated family drama, which catapulted the young playwright to fame at London’s Royal Court in 2007, has been met with five-star reviews. The Orange Tree’s production, starring Niamh Cusack, is available on demand, 10-13 October.
Ursa: A Folk Musical
Here’s a story “about how the world changes when you meet someone new” says the balladeer on stage. In this case, it’s a lonely bear who bumps into a teenage girl. Toronto’s The Uncommon Folk Collective perform a winning, foot-tapping account of grizzly adolescence. From Stratford festival’s superb digital service, Stratfest@Home.
The Dance
Michael Keegan-Dolan’s richly atmospheric Mám, staged at Sadler’s Wells in 2020, returns to the London dance venue this month. The venue’s digital stage is presenting Pat Collins’ behind-the scenes-documentary about the show, which is rooted in the landscape of the Dingle peninsula. The Dance is available from 3 October.
Death of England
It has become a sprawling saga, unfolding across two of the National Theatre’s stages and a Sky Arts film. But Roy Williams and Clint Dyer’s Death of England series, which continues this month with Closing Time at the NT, started out as a nine-minute microplay made by the Guardian and the Royal Court. All six microplays are available online.
The Believers Are But Brothers
Javaad Alipoor has become one of our most questing theatremakers, with a run of engrossing shows that grapple with knotty issues and combine the personal with the political. Filmed at Home in Manchester in 2017, this one explores online extremism and misogyny. From Digital Theatre.
Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker!
Candy canes at the ready: Matthew Bourne’s eye-popping festive fantasia, which skates from darkness to daftness and creates a sweet-toothed winter wonderland, is on BBC iPlayer until the end of the year. Nutty, yes, but cracking too.
Macbeth
The Scottish play is the Shakespeare of the season, with Ralph Fiennes and David Tennant among those wearing the “fruitless crown”. It’s 16 years since Patrick Stewart took the tragedy from Chichester to the West End and Broadway in an explosive Rupert Goold production that was then filmed at Welbeck Abbey in Nottinghamshire. It’s available from Prime Video.
Maison Mac
Yet more Macbeth … but this time in the form of a queer concept musical which – perhaps taking the witches’ boiling cauldron as a cue – reframes the tragedy as a thriller in a professional kitchen. With lyrics and book by Sam Woof and music by Woof and Rudy Percival, this EP is available on several platforms.
Dance Umbrella
London’s dynamic festival of dance includes a series of online films such as Trajal Harrell’s O Medea, Ioanna Paraskevopoulou’s brilliantly titled All She Likes Is Popping Bubble Wrap and a reflection by Jade Hackett as part of the Black Digital Dance Revolution. Pay what you can for a digital pass to access all the online programme, 6-31 October.
Othello
London’s National Theatre celebrates its 60th birthday this month with a free stream of its acclaimed 2022 production starring Giles Terera in the title role and featuring a typically bold set design by Chloe Lamford. Clint Dyer directs. On YouTube from 7pm on 19 October.
