As the country slowly eases out of lockdown restrictions, many theatres are still waiting to welcome returning audiences.
However, the Stanwix Theatre, based at the University of Cumbria’s Institute of the Arts, has found a novel way to open up by streaming online student-led performances.
The first one, 13, by award-winning playwright Mike Bartlett, sees final year acting students mark the end of three years of study with this powerful performance, which was fully rehearsed, performed, and recorded while in lockdown.
The production will be available to stream online between 9am and midnight this Friday.
Set in a dark and magical landscape, the play depicts a London both familiar and strange: a London staring into the void.
13 explores the hold that the past has over the future, the nature of belief and the idea of responsibility, a very apt production for the times we live in.
Working in both the Stanwix Theatre and from their homes, the students have created a digital visual feast and given incredible performances.
Dr Jez Colclough, senior lecturer said: “Rehearsing and creating this production in a virtual environment with limited access to the Stanwix Theatre and other resources, our students have demonstrated the resilience and adaptability.
“Working with academic colleagues and an external creative team of industry professionals, they have learned new skills and techniques for producing a theatrical performance with the experience setting them at the forefront of the profession”.
13 will be publicly available on the Stanwix Theatre YouTube page and has a run time of two and a half hours.
Access to the online platform is free of charge.
