17 stage shows, musicals and more to watch on BBC iPlayer
There's a whole world of streaming choices!
BBC iPlayer has been a valuable resource during the lockdown and things are no different for theatre enthusiasts! Here is a range of shows worth catching, which we're updating as the weeks go on.
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Imagine: My Name is Kwame
Alan Yentob meets Young Vic artistic director, playwright and actor Kwame Kwei-Armah, to discuss his life and career.
Staged
The second series, once more led by Michael Sheen and David Tennant, follows two actors who are out of work and determined to carry on rehearsals. Their home lives and families have other ideas!
The Goes Wrong Show
The screen endeavours of the notorious Mischief Comedy team, the group continue to go from strength to strength.
Talking Heads
© BBC / London Theatre Company / Zac Nicholson
A brand new filmed version of the iconic Alan Bennett series has been released in full online for your viewing pleasure! Featuring Jodie Comer, Lucian Msamati and more, there really is something for everyone in here.
Uncle Vanya
The star-studded West End production, which we threw heaps of stars at last year, is available for a time on the streaming service.
The Red Shoes
Matthew Bourne's jaw-dropping spectacle based on the classic story is now streaming online – expect magical performance at its finest.
Top Hat (1935)
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are the go-to for musical movies and Top Hat, featuring music and lyrics by Irving Berlin, may be one of their finest.
© BBC/Guy Levy
Musicals: The Greatest Show
A 100-minute musical extravanganza, featuring some of the most iconic shows performed by top-tier vocalists.
The Sky's the Limit (1943)
Joan Leslie and Astaire star in the 1943 film which has music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Johnny Mercer.
The Gay Divorcee (1934)
Based on Dwight Taylor's 1932 musical of the same name (but controversially leaving out a lot of Cole Porter's original tunes) this was another of the ten movies Astaire and Ginger Rogers did together.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
CBeebies is currently offering a version of Shakespeare's iconic comedy aimed at very young audiences, broken down into accessible chunks.
Fosse / Verdon
Want to know all about the making of some of the greatest musical movies of all time? Don't miss this award-winning series starring Michelle Williams and Sam Rockwell. It might change the way you look at the stage!
Carefree (1938)
The perfect pairing of Astaire and Rogers continues with this comedy, which also features the work of Berlin. The film controversially (at the time) featured a "long on-screen kiss", which shocked audiences in their droves.
Upstart Crow
The stage version's West End run was cut short by the lockdown, but there's more than enough fun to be had on BBC iPlayer in this David Mitchell-led sitcom about Shakespeare. Think Blackadder meets Horrible Histories with extra Ben Elton fun!
Celebrity Supply Teacher: Matthew Morrison
Actor and Broadway star Matthew Morrison gives a special lesson on musical theatre and shows how to perform the famous finale song from Hairspray.
Opera Mums with Bryony Kimmings
Acclaimed performance artist Kimmings creates a piece inspired by the lives of single mums and informed by opera experts at the English National Opera.
HARDTalk: Belarus Free Theatre
The BBC's Stephen Sackur speaks to Natalia Kaliada, one of the founders of the Belarus Free Theatre, as the country hits headlines around the world in light of the Ryanair plane-jacking.