April 16, 2021
NewsAre you missing the theatre? For some of us, a trip of the theatre is a ritual we enjoy at least once a season – if not a month! The pandemic has meant that for most of us, we haven’t stepped inside a theatre for over a year. Like everything, the industry has had to adapt to the changing world around us and find a new way of inviting guests into their legendary venues. Not only can you bring the theatre to your own home, but you can also support the institutions at the same time. You get to enjoy a slice of theatre and the know that you get to help make sure those theatres are still there in the post-pandemic world.
As a way of bringing in some much-needed revenue, several theatres have licensed some of their digital copies of prior performances to streaming platforms like Netflix. You can watch the Royal Ballet performing Nutcracker on Netflix. The streaming service also offers you film adaptions of recent musicals, including West Side Story and everyone’s favourite musical film La La Land. Disney+ infamously landed the rights to Hamilton last year, bringing the original Broadway cast production to the small screen. BBC iPlayer has also gained the rights to several largely hyped about theatre productions, such as Uncle Vanya, which briefly appeared at the Harold Pinter Theatre.
Another way you can bring the theatre into your home is to dive deep into the archives of your favourite theatres. These theatre companies have opened up their archives, allowing you to watch rare performances by celebrities you would usually never get a chance of seeing on the stage. The National Theatre at Home archive allows you to watch Helen Mirren in Phedre and Tom Hiddleston in Coriolanus.
If Shakespeare is more to your taste, you can look into the Globe’s archives with their Globe Player service. This pay-as-you-go service allows you to buy or rent a variety of productions from the legendary London theatre. If you want to see a live production, check out the Sydney Opera House’s ‘From Our House to Yours’ program of events and talks, including concerts, which allow you to feel like you’re back at a live performance.
When you go the theatre, you’re used to buying a ticket (which may have cost a small fortune!) and treating yourself to a glass or two of win. Theatres like the Royal Opera House London are running a list of performances that you can buy access to for a short period of time. They’re releasing new productions almost weekly, allowing you access to them for as little as £3. Other theatres are still running livestreams of previous productions, requesting a small donation be made in lieu of access. You want to make sure you’re giving something back to your favourite theatres by donating where possible, especially when you’re watching their digital catalogue.
How are you bringing the theatre into your home? What production do you want to see first then the theatres re-open?
A combination of all current tech trends - social, commerce and influencers - livestream shopping is bringing us together with our favourite stars, giving us an opportunity to connect and feel closure to those we admire and those whose lives we follow for different reasons. Life stream shopping is giving us an opportunity to feel in-store, but with a cosy feel. Seeing the host present the brand and not a brand employee creates an element of honesty.
2020 was far from easy. None of us expected to live through a global pandemic and to have our lives turned upside down. While we’ve been attached to the digital world since the 90s, it became our lifeline in 2020. Zoom and FaceTime replaced seeing our friends in person. Netflix became our therapy and Tik-Tok stood in for evening entertainment like going to a theatre production. We’re all glued to our phones more than ever. If you’re conscious of blue light damage to your skin, or in the mood for a digital cleanse, we have five hobbies you can try that can help you escape the drama of 2021.
Right now, we all need to relax and unwind. It’s been a difficult year and self-care has never been more important. Whether you’re working from home or shielding from the virus, the chances are that you could do with a few minutes away from the real world. Developing a relaxing bath time ritual can help relieve you of your stress and improve your overall mood. Drawing yourself a bath has the ability to instantly change your outlook and make your problems go away (at least for a while). We’ve put together the essential parts of any bath ritual for the ultimate evening of self-care.
Fingers crossed; this is the last season we’ll be stuck at home because of the pandemic. Staying in doors and working from home doesn’t mean that we have to give up the latest fashion trends. A year on from the pandemic, our fashion style has changed to accommodate our unexpected lifestyles. If you’re tired of working from home in your loungewear or gym gear, these are four trends you can add to your spring wardrobe to update your look and give you a fresh perspective. Hopefully by the end of spring, we’ll all be back in the pub, showing off our latest outfit purchases. Until then, here’s our top picks of what to wear at home this spring.
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