The best theatre to stream this month: The Old Man and the Pool, Bedbound and more
The Old Man and the Pool
Here’s Mike Birbiglia’s pitch for his Broadway and West End hit: “I wrote a show about mortality and I guarantee you’ll laugh for 80 minutes straight and sometimes people also feel emotions from it and – trust me – I think you’ll love it.” We did – and it’s now on Netflix.
Cinderella
A family outing to the panto can really add up, which is another good reason for streaming one. Nottingham Playhouse’s Cinderella is available on demand for £20 and you can watch it as many times as you like for five days. Available from 18 December.
Swan Lake
MarqueeTV have a flock of Swan Lakes for dance fans, with interpretations from Norwegian National Ballet, Angelin Preljocaj, Ballett Zürich as well as a handful of short leftfield pieces inspired by the classic including Hofesh Shechter’s appetising Swan Cake.
Bedbound
Father and daughter Colm Meaney and Brenda Meaney star in Enda Walsh’s tight-knit two-hander set in an oppressive bedroom. Filmed at this year’s Galway international arts festival and available until 8 December.
Henry V
Long before he played Harry Potter and Benjamin Button on stage, Jamie Parker excelled as Prince Hal (in 2010) and then Henry V (in 2012) at Shakespeare’s Globe, consummately directed by Dominic Dromgoole. On BBC iPlayer.
GNR8
Audible and Lamda’s series of audio dramas by rising playwrights continues with four new works. Slay by Michael Button and Simulacrum by Eric Stroud both explore the world of true crime podcasts. Duty of Care by Kirsty Rider reunites an estranged brother and sister while Sonali Bhattacharyya’s The Deity and the Fly finds a town turning against a teacher.
City of a Thousand Trades
Birmingham Royal Ballet made headlines this year with their Black Sabbath show but back in 2021 they were already experimenting with heavy metal riffs in this piece choreographed by Miguel Altunaga, as a dozen industrious dancers explore the city’s industrial heritage. On MarqueeTV.
Love’s Labour’s Lost
As part of the Globe to Globe festival in 2012, Paula Garfield staged Love’s Labour’s Lost with her deaf-led company, Deafinitely Theatre. “Shakespeare gave us an opportunity to show the poetry, richness and beauty of British Sign Language,” said Garfield. That comedy is now available for free until 21 December on the company’s new streaming service.
The Cat-Astrophic Adventures of Dollop and Crinkle
A tale of two kitties from Apples and Snakes and Half Moon theatre, this is a spoken word poetry show for children aged seven to 11. The fur flies when scruffy moggy Dollop arrives on the same street as the uber-groomed Crinkle. Available now.
Our National Health Stories Live
A six-month artistic programme inspired by the stories of workers at 19 NHS trusts culminated in a one-off celebratory production in November encompassing poetry, dance, theatre, film and music at Manchester’s Aviva Studios with a cast including Gabrielle Brooks. Watch on YouTube.
