The West End may be closed, but its stars are coming to your living room.
The shutdown of London’s West End leaves a gaping hole in the cultural landscape of the city, with actors, technicians, directors, choreographers and more facing a spell on the sidelines. Thankfully, one theatre company has come up with a way to keep the show going, in a new initiative called ‘Leave a Light On’.
(See a full list of London venue closures here.)
Lambert Jackson Productions, in partnership with London’s musical-loving Theatre Cafe, will launch a series of web concerts from Monday (March 23rd). Three times a day, you’ll be able to enjoy a 45-minute set from West End actors – be they big names or up-and-coming talents – streamed directly into your bedroom/isolation area of choice. You’ll be asked to pay a small fee to enjoy the shows, but it looks to be well worth the fee, and a fabulous way to support the arts in their hour of need.
The upsides of the concerts are twofold: on the one hand, it provides an income for actors who have suddenly seen their entire industry turned upside down, and on the other, it lets the legions of musical fans out there get a tantalising taste of Sondheim whilst still practicing social distancing. Win win! None of the upcoming concerts have yet been announced, but we’ll endeavour to keep you up to date with them – oh, and if you’d like to be involved, drop the Theatre Cafe a little message on Instagram.