David Farnor | On 13, May 2021

In what could be a sign of the future of the theatre world, the Old Vic Theatre has announced a new season featuring both in-person and online productions.

Theatres across the UK were closed for most of the past year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, leading many venues to either stream plays live online or stream recordings of older productions. The National Theatre launched its own subscription VOD platform, NT at Home, while the Old Vic led the way in dedicated virtual productions featuring stars such as Matt Smith, Claire Foy, Andrew Scott and Michael Sheen.

From 17th May, theatres and other indoor entertainment venues will be permitted to reopen. To help bridge the gap between those eager to return to venues in-person and those either unable to get to theatres or hesitant to do so, the Old Vic will be treading the boards both physically and virtually.

“We are absolutely delighted to be reopening our doors to live audiences and rebooting in person all of the other important work that The Old Vic engages in alongside its main stage productions,” said Artistic Director Matthew Warchus in a statement. “It’s particularly gratifying to be able to play our part in bringing theatre freelancers (including writers, directors, designers, choreographers, musicians and performers) back to work after an impossibly challenging period.”

The result is a season that includes two new online-only shows – curated by Mark Gatiss and Noma Dumezweni – plus in-person productions of Harold Pinter’s The Dumb Waiter and Percy and Eleonore Adlon’s Bagdad Cafe, which will also be recorded and streamed online over the summer. There is no word yet on whether future productions from the autumn onwards would be recorded for a similar streaming release.

For more on digital theatre shows streaming now and soon, see our complete online theatre guide here.

THE SHOWS – SUMMER DIGITAL AND LIVE

QUEERS
Curated by Mark Gatiss
Original commissions 02 Jun, new commissions 30 Jun 2021

Available online

HOME?
Curated by Noma Dumezweni
14–20 Jun 2021

Available online

THE DUMB WAITER
By Harold Pinter, directed by Jeremy Herrin
07–10 Jul 2021

Available online / in-person

BAGDAD CAFE
By Percy and Eleonore Adlon, adapted by Emma Rice
19 Jul–28 Aug 2021

Available online / in-person

THE SHOWS – FROM AUTUMN

CAMP SIEGFRIED
By Bess Wohl, directed by Katy Rudd
07 Sep–30 Oct 2021

Available in-person

A CHRISTMAS CAROL
By Charles Dickens, adapted by Jack Thorne, directed by Matthew Warchus
13 Nov 2021–08 Jan 2022

Available in-person

A NUMBER
By Caryl Churchill, directed by Lyndsey Turner 
24 Jan–19 Mar 2022

Available in-person

INTO THE WOODS
Music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by James Lapine, co-directed Terry Gilliam and Leah Hausman 
16 Apr–09 Jul 2022

Available in-person

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