Six Actors in Search of a Director

East

Guidance 16+ • 1h 53m

Steven Berkoff’s witty and brutal portrayal of growing up in London’s East End follows the lives of a working-class family through stories of sex, violence, dreams and desires. This 25th-anniversary production was captured live at the Vaudeville Theatre in London. With rich poetic language that parodies Shakespeare and an explosive physicality inspired by Berkoff's training with Jacques Lecoq, East vividly brings to life the struggles of each character using mime, movement, music and humour in this “elegy for the East End and all its energetic waste”.

Over There

Guidance 12+ • 1h 12m

In Over There, Karl, left in East Germany by his mother who escaped to the West with his twin brother Franz, crosses the border himself 25 years later. This production was captured by Digital Theatre live at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at London’s Royal Court. It was directed by Mark Ravenhill and Ramin Gray and brothers Franz and Karl were played by real-life twins Harry and Luke Treadaway.

Max Black, or, 62 Ways of Supporting the Head with a Hand

Guidance 18+ • 1h 35m

Director and composer Heiner Goebbels transports us into the mind of Max Black, the American mathematician and philosopher, in this innovative devised performance which unearths the inner workings of his scientific discoveries. Lighting, pyrotechnic effects and acoustic melodies come together to bring the scientist's laboratory to life in this electric production captured by the Stanislavsky Electrotheatre, Moscow in 2015 and presented in partnership with Stage Russia HD. Performed in Russian with English subtitles. *Contains intense scenes and flashing lights.

Richard II

All Ages • 2h 37m

The first part of his history tetralogy, Shakespeare’s interpretation of the deposed king is brought to life in this richly detailed production from the Royal Shakespeare Company. Captured live in Stratford-upon-Avon, this adaptation was the first production of Artistic Director Gregory Doran’s six-year plan to stage all of Shakespeare’s works.

Drillalians: Episodes 1 & 2

All Ages • 2h 44m

Stage Russia HD presents Episodes One and Two of Boris Yukhananov’s phenomenal five-part opera series, which follows the birth, initiation and adventures of a prince in the land of Drillalia. Captured by the Stanislavsky Electrotheatre in Moscow, this production combines compositions from major figures in new opera in Russia with award-winning costumes and contemporary choreography to bring Yukhananov’s extraordinary vision to life.

Hamlet

Guidance All Ages • 3h 4m

Captured in the round at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre, this production of Shakespeare's classic tragedy boldly reimagines gender across the characters. Maxine Peake, a leading British talent, stars as the first UK female Hamlet on a major stage for 35 years. The production continues director Sarah Frankcom’s work at the REM, now lauded as the UK’s ‘first mainstream feminist theatre.’

Sylvia

All Ages • 1h 33m

Darcey Bussell and Roberto Bolle star in Frederick Ashton's Sylvia, restored to the splendour of its elegant and opulent three-act form for the 75th anniversary celebrations of The Royal Ballet. With origins in Greek mythology, Sylvia was loved by Aminta, abducted by Orion and eventually rescued by Eros.

Salome

12+ • 2h 19m

Steven Berkoff’s adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s lyrical drama tells the tale of the young Salome, who demands the head of an imprisoned prophet as a reward for dancing for her step-father Herod. Captured live at the Ginza Saison Theatre in Tokyo in 1992, this production stars Berkoff as Herod, the Tetrarch of Judea, who must decide whether to break his oath or give Salome everything she desires. Performed in slow-motion, this interpretation of the New Testament tale employs elements of mime and Kabuki to create a hypnotic, dream-like atmosphere. With a captivating ensemble dressed in monochrome, 1920s costume and a minimalist set design, Berkoff once again defies the conventions of naturalistic theatre with highly physical and stylised performances.

Rich Kids: A History of Shopping Malls in Tehran

Guidance 12+ • 1h 12m

*If you have Instagram, we recommend watching our other, multi-screen, version of Rich Kids.* In 2015 Robert Mugabe’s son filmed himself pouring champagne over the £45,000 watch his father bought him, tagging it on Instagram as #daddyrunsthewholecountry. Based on the extravagant lives of young people in the Middle East, this virtual production co-directed and performed by Javaad Alipoor comments on social media’s complicity in the widening gap between rich and poor. This version of Rich Kids embeds an Instagram feed into the performance.

The Comedy of Errors

7+ • 2h 19m

Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors is a fairytale farce of a separated family, mistaken identities and everyday miracles. A father ends up in the wrong country on the wrong day; a lonely son, while searching for his brother, loses himself; and across town, a wife starts to realise her husband is not the man she thought he was. This RSC production is directed by comedy master Phillip Breen.