The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is to invite people to a live “watch-along” of its 2017 production of Twelfth Night when it premieres on streaming service Marquee TV.
The film will debut on the performing arts platform on Saturday 11 April, with the watch-along starting at 7.15pm (UK time). Viewers can post comments on Twitter during the performance, getting involved by following the RSC at @theRSC and using the hashtag, #AlmostLiveFromTheRSC.
It is one of a number of theatre productions to premiere on Marquee TV every Saturday. There are already 17 RSC productions available to stream including Richard II with David Tennant and King Lear with Antony Sher.
Directed by Christopher Luscombe and set in 1890s England, the 2017 production of Twelfth Night starred Adrian Edmondson as Malvolio and Kara Tointon as Olivia at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. The cast also featured Esh Alladi, Nicholas Bishop, Tom Byrne, Sally Cheng, Michael Cochrane, James Gant, Dinita Gohil, John Hodgkinson, Beruce Khan, Verity Kirk, Luke Latchman, Vivien Parry, Joseph Prowen, Giles Taylor, Sarah Twomey and Jamie Tyler.
As with all of its Shakespeare productions since 2013, the RSC also broadcast Twelfth Night into cinemas across the world and for free into schools.
Luscombe said: “In these testing times it’s wonderful that theatres are sharing such a range of their productions online. I do hope Twelfth Night will help to keep everyone entertained. As the play centres on two lost souls trying to find their way in an unfamiliar world, it may well speak to us all as never before.
“I was blessed with a fantastic cast and production team on this show, and I’m thrilled that their work is being celebrated – especially at a time when live theatre has had to be put on hold. A ‘watch along’, with the audience commenting on Twitter, sounds like a great idea to me – it’ll be fascinating to hear what everyone has to say.”
Susannah Simons from Marquee TV added: “Twelfth Night is just the right play to lift the spirits, and this is a wonderful production. We are thrilled to be able to bring it to a wider audience, cross garters and all.”
