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Live theatre has been somewhat crushed by the coronavirus pandemic. But some are making it work online.
That includes London's Old Vic Theatre, which is doing us the honour of running a livestreamed performance of Fleabag's "Hot Priest" Andrew Scott in Three Kings, a new play by English playwright Stephen Beresford. There'll be no set, no audience, just Scott.
The show will be livestreamed from the empty Old Vic for five performances between July 29 and August 1 via Zoom, so you could watch it on your phone, tablet, or laptop — Zoom doesn't have a TV app, but you could always use an HDMI cable or casting device like a Google Chromecast to throw it up to the big screen. Each performance will be live captioned and audio described.
The play is being directed by Matthew Warchus, who worked with Scott on the Beresford-penned 2014 film Pride. Here's the plot rundown, as per the Old Vic's website:
"When Patrick is eight years old his absent father returns unexpectedly and in a brief but memorable encounter, sets him the challenge of ‘The Three Kings’. Years later – recalling that meeting, and the revelations that followed – Patrick traces the events of his father’s life — and takes us on a journey of grandiose plans, aching disappointments and audacious self delusion."
It's the second livestreamed performance the theatre has run during the UK's government-issued lockdown, afterThe Crownstars Claire Foy and Matt Smith performed Duncan MacMillan’s play Lungsto an empty theatre as part of the Old Vic's "In Camera" series. It was streamed live to 69 countries from June to July 4.
So, how do you watch Three Kings? It's a ticketed event, which goes on sale through the Old Vic's website Wednesday, July 22 at 10 a.m. BST. If you're outside the UK, you can still buy tickets on the website from any country but be sure to check the time difference for the actual showtime, as it's live. Notably, there are limited tickets to the show, due to restricted staffing to process bookings and offer technical support during each performance.
SEE ALSO:The rise of drag on TwitchTickets cost between £10-40, whatever you'd like to pay. According to the Old Vic, technically a registered charity in receipt of no regular subsidy, "We’re asking people to pay what they normally would for a night out at the theatre — it’s our way of replacing box office income now all our usual channels of revenue have been entirely wiped out. Everyone will get the same view regardless of which ticket they buy."
You only need to buy one ticket for the show, even if you're watching with your housemates on the same device — but if you're planning on doing this and you have the means, it might be an idea to throw in a little bit more for your ticket to support the show. You won't be able to share your viewing link, which gets emailed to you just before the show, so you can't watch across multiple devices.
Plus, if you want more Scott time, the Old Vic is also selling tickets to an In Conversationwith British TV and radio presenter Dermot O’Leary on August 1 at 9 p.m. BST.
Theatre isn't the only type of live performance that's been taking things online during shelter-in-place orders. Drag queens have done the same. Support 'em all.
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