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Ivanno Jeremiah stars as Sidney Poitier in Retrograde, which is streaming courtesy of National Theatre at Home. Photo by Marc Brenner.
Even though in-person theatre and dance are back in full swing, in the name of accessibility we're continuing to round up performances to watch online from the comfort of home. Our curated list spotlights the five best options to stream this weekend, Friday, September 12 to Sunday, September 14, for free or at low cost.
Streaming for $10.
In 2020, London's lauded National Theatre launched its own streaming service featuring professional stage captures of its productions. While you can buy a subscription, shows are also available to rent individually. New to the roster is Retrograde, Ryan Calais Cameron's critically acclaimed three-hander about a young Sidney Poitier trying to navigate the Red Scare in 1950s Hollywood. Recorded live onstage in London earlier this year, the production is directed by Amit Sharma. A 72-hour rental costs $10 and captions are available. It's just one of many fantastic National Theatre shows you can stream, so be sure to browse the entire list.
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Streaming on All Arts for FREE.
Back in 2016, to mark the quadricentennial of Shakespeare's death, the Royal Shakespeare Company presented a starry celebration of scenes, soliloquies and even songs by (or inspired by) the Bard. Hosted by David Tennant and Catherine Tate, who headlined a beloved 2011 mounting of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing that you can rent online, Shakespeare Live! features performances by Benedict Cumberbatch, Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, Rufus Wainwright, Joseph Fiennes and other favorites.
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Streaming on All Arts for FREE.
Get into the Christmas spirit a few months early with this magical mounting of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker featuring The Royal Ballet. Peter Wright's sumptuous staging was inspired by Lev Ivanov's original choreography. A holiday gift you can enjoy this fall!
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Streaming for £7.99, approximately $11.
Directed by and starring the legendary Brian Bedford in his final stage performance as the indomitable Lady Bracknell, Roundabout Theatre Company's 2011 mounting of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest is an effervescent comedy of amours, filled with mistaken identity and social satire. Dana Ivey, Paxton Whitehead and a young Santino Fontana costar. David Hyde Pierce introduces the play and there's an intermission discussion with Alfred Molina about Wilde's life and legacy.
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Streaming for £7.99, approximately $11.
Thrill to Matthew Bourne's Olivier Award-winning stage adaptation of the legendary 1948 movie The Red Shoes, based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of the same name. An eye-popping examination of obsession, possession and the hard choices artists make in the pursuit of perfection, the production stars Ashley Shaw as a rising ballerina torn between Adam Cooper's imperious impresario and Dominic North's intense composer. This dance production was filmed live onstage at Sadler's Wells Theatre in London.
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Raven Snook is the Editor of TDF Stages. Follow her on Facebook at @Raven.Snook. Follow TDF on Facebook at @TDFNYC.
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