The Show Must Go Online

Last updated
The Show Must Go Online
Also known asTSMGO
Genre Comedy, Tragedy, History
Created byRobert Myles
Written by William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Ian Doescher, John Lyly, George Wilkins, John Fletcher
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons6
No. of episodes42
Production
ProducerSarah Peachey
Camera setup Zoom
Release
Original network YouTube
Original release19 March (2020-03-19) –
18 November 2020 (2020-11-18)

The Show Must Go Online is a British web series created by Robert Myles. [1] The first episode premiered on 19 March 2020 on YouTube, in direct response to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the theatre industry. [2] The first series consisted of an online, weekly reading of a different First Folio play by William Shakespeare, in the order they were believed to have been written. [3]

Contents

The Show Must Go Online has utilised actors from all over the world, including Jeffrey Weissman, [4] Ben Crystal, [5] Mark Holden, [6] Elizabeth Dennehy, [7] Wendy Morgan, [8] Seeta Indrani [9] and Miguel Perez. [10] The series won two OnComm Awards and a ONEOFF award, courtesy of The Offies. [11] [12] Its First Folio season ran until 18 November 2020 [13] with subsequent shows performed bimonthly. The series concluded with The Two Noble Kinsmen in September 2021. [14]

Background

Original First Folio series

March 2020 saw the UK enter into a nationwide lockdown in response to the coronavirus pandemic. [15] British theatre closures were announced on March 16. [16] Robert Myles, an actor and Shakespeare aficionado [17] who found himself out of work, created The Show Must Go Online in less than a week, [18] in response to the widespread cancellation of jobs and contracts faced by theatrical industry professionals. Inspiration was also taken from the fact that William Shakespeare wrote many of his poems and plays when theatres were shut as a result of the plague. [19] King Lear was one such play written during that time. [20]

With actors and creatives in a state of lockdown when the series began, Zoom was used for both the rehearsals and the performance. The show was then live streamed through YouTube. [21]

The cast included notable professionals and also a number of amateur actors. [22] Notable actors who were cast in the series, included British television actors such as Wendy Morgan and Seeta Indrani. [23] Michael Bertenshaw, an actor with the Royal Shakespeare Company, [24] was also in several episodes. [25] [26] Ben Crystal, an actor noted for both his performances in Shakespeare's plays, and also his series of books on Shakespeare, played the titular role in Timon of Athens [27] performing latter sections of the play in original pronunciation. The series also featured many American screen actors, including Jeffrey Weissman, [28] Elizabeth Dennehy [29] and Miguel Perez. [30] As a whole, actors used in the series came from 6 of the 7 continents of the world. [31] Each show in the series had an introduction by different guest speakers. [32] Ben Crystal and Simon Russell Beale both introduced live performances for The Show Must Go Online. [33] [34]

The original series of Shakespeare plays ran until 18 November 2020. The series followed the First Folio, and as such, neither Pericles or The Two Noble Kinsmen were included in the run. [35]

Subsequent work

Following the conclusion of the original First Folio series, The Show Must Go Online announced a livestreamed production of William Shakespeare’s A Christmas Carol, by Ian Doescher on the 19th December 2020. Moving away from the free-to-watch format of the original series, this show marked the beginning of a shift to ticketed performances. [36] Wendy Morgan returned to the series to play the lead role of Ebenezer Scrooge. [37]

This was followed by performances of Shakespeare and George Wilkins' Pericles, [38] and John Lyly's Gallathea in 2021, [39] with the latter production consisting of an international majority LGBTQIA+ cast. [40] There was also a series of performances of work by Christopher Marlowe throughout the summer. [41] The series concluded with a performance of The Two Noble Kinsmen on 8 September 2021, before The Show Must Go Online entered a 'chrysalis' period. [42]

Reception

The series was the recipient of two OnComm Awards, while the series was in progress. [43] When The Show Must Go Online reached its conclusion, it was awarded a "ONEOFF" award by The Offies, in recognition of the achievements of the series during the lockdown. [44] The Show Must Go Online was also nominated for "Digital Project of the Year" in The Stage Awards of 2022, but ultimately lost out to the Royal National Theatre's production of Romeo & Juliet . [45] [46]

The critical response was positive, and during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, it was praised as being the only way of experiencing 'genuinely live theatre'. [47] In a March 2020 article for MyTheatreMates and Mind the Blog, Debbie Gilpin described the first production of The Show Must Go Online as a 'roaring success'. [48] Reviews continued to be positive as the series has progressed, with praise being given to the diversity of the casting [49] and the success with how the plays have translated live on YouTube. [50]

Writing for the Folger Shakespeare Library, Austin Tichenor wrote in September 2020 that The Show Must Go Online was particularly popular with people who are excluded from the traditional theatre-going experience because of health conditions. He also praised the fact that the performances remain permanently on YouTube, 'as a resource for future students and Shakespeare newcomers alike'. [51]

Related Research Articles

<i>Timon of Athens</i> Play by Shakespeare

Timon of Athens is a play written by William Shakespeare and probably also Thomas Middleton in about 1606. It was published in the First Folio in 1623. Timon lavishes his wealth on parasitic companions until he is poor and rejected by them. He rejects mankind and goes to live in a cave.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toby Stephens</span> British actor

Toby Stephens is an English actor who has appeared in films in the UK, US and India. He is known for the roles of Bond villain Gustav Graves in the 2002 James Bond film Die Another Day, of William Gordon in the 2005 Mangal Pandey: The Rising film, Edward Fairfax Rochester in a BBC television adaptation of Jane Eyre and as Captain Flint in the Starz television series Black Sails. Stephens was one of the leads in the Netflix science fiction series Lost in Space, which began streaming in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesse L. Martin</span> American actor

Jesse Lamont Martin is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his role of Tom Collins on Broadway in the musical Rent and performed on television as NYPD Detective Ed Green on Law & Order and Captain Joe West on The Flash.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Emerson</span> American actor (born 1954)

Michael Emerson is an American actor who is best known for his roles as serial killer William Hinks on The Practice, Benjamin Linus on Lost, Zep Hindle in the first Saw film, Cayden James on Arrow, and Harold Finch in the CBS series Person of Interest. Emerson has also worked extensively in theater and narration. He has won two Primetime Emmy Awards and been nominated for three others, as well as receiving other awards and nominations. He currently stars as Dr. Leland Townsend in the Paramount+ thriller series Evil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Russell Beale</span> British actor

Sir Simon Russell Beale is an English actor. He is known for his performances in film, television and theatre. He's received numerous accolades including two BAFTA Awards, three Olivier Awards, and a Tony Award. For his services to drama, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2019. Beale has been described by The Independent as "the greatest stage actor of his generation".

<i>The Lion King</i> (musical) Musical

The Lion King is a stage musical with music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, and a book by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi, with additional music and lyrics by Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor, and Hans Zimmer. It is based on the 1994 Walt Disney Animation Studios' film of the same name. Directed by Taymor, the musical features actors in animal costumes as well as giant, hollow puppets. The show is produced by Disney Theatrical Productions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel Barnett (actor)</span> English actor

Samuel Barnett is an English actor. He has performed on stage, film, television and radio and achieved recognition for his work on the stage and film versions of The History Boys by Alan Bennett. His television performances include roles in the BBC comedy Twenty Twelve and in the Showtime drama Penny Dreadful. He played the lead role of Dirk Gently in Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, the 2016 BBC America adaptation of the book series by Douglas Adams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Urie</span> American actor (born 1980)

Michael Lorenzo Urie is an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of Marc St. James on the ABC comedy drama television series Ugly Betty. He can be heard as Bobby Kerns in As the Curtain Rises, an original podcast soap opera from the Broadway Podcast Network.

Seeta Indrani is an English dancer and actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Groff</span> American actor (born 1985)

Jonathan Drew Groff is an American actor and singer. He began his career on Broadway, rising to prominence for his portrayal of Melchior Gabor in the original production of Spring Awakening (2006-2008), for which he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. He returned to Broadway to portray King George III in the original production of Hamilton (2015), for which he earned a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.

StarKid Productions, also known as Team StarKid, is an American musical theatre company founded in 2009 at the University of Michigan by Darren Criss, Brian Holden, Matt Lang, and Nick Lang. Originally known for the viral success of their first musical, A Very Potter Musical, a parody of the Harry Potter series, the troupe primarily produces musical comedies inspired by pop culture, with original scripts, songs, and music. StarKid distributes their musicals for free on YouTube, with recent projects being funded by Kickstarter and physical ticket sales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Crystal</span> British actor, writer and producer (born 1977)

Ben Crystal is an English actor, author, and producer, best known for his work on performing and promoting William Shakespeare and adapting original practices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brandon Uranowitz</span> American stage and television actor (born 1986)

Brandon Jacob Uranowitz is an American actor who was nominated four times for a Tony Award and won in 2023. He is best known for his roles as Adam Hochberg in the musical An American in Paris (2014–15) and Mendel Weisenbachfeld in the 2016 Broadway revival of Falsettos, both of which earned him nominations for Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. His performances in Burn This (2019) and Leopoldstadt (2022–23) earned him nominations also for Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play, the latter of which he won. His other Broadway credits include Baby, It's You! (2011), Prince of Broadway (2017), and The Band's Visit (2018).

Swachata Sanjiban Guha or Swachhatoa Guha is an Indian actress from Kolkata, West Bengal now based in New Jersey, who made her Bollywood debut with Lootera (2013).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danielle Brooks</span> American actress (born 1989)

Danielle Brittany Brooks is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Tasha "Taystee" Jefferson on the comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019) and Leota Adebayo on the superhero series Peacemaker (2022–present). In 2015, she made her Broadway debut in the musical revival of The Color Purple, for which she received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, and won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. She returned to Broadway in the revival of the August Wilson play The Piano Lesson in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mischief Theatre</span> British theatre company

Mischief Theatre is a British theatre company founded in 2008 by a group of students from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in West London, and directed by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields. The group originally began by doing improvised comedy shows, but by 2012 they expanded into comedic theatrical performances that includes choreographed routines, jokes, and stunts.

<i>& Juliet</i> 2019 jukebox musical

& Juliet is a 2019 coming-of-age jukebox musical featuring the music of Swedish pop songwriter Max Martin, with a book by David West Read. The story focuses on a "what if" scenario, where Juliet does not die at the end of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

<i>MJ the Musical</i> Jukebox musical

MJ the Musical is a jukebox musical based on the life of the American entertainer Michael Jackson. It features Jackson's music with a book by Lynn Nottage, and choreography by Christopher Wheeldon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the performing arts</span> Aspect of viral outbreak

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the performing arts, mirroring its impacts across all arts sectors. Due to physical distancing requirements and closure of the physical venues, curtailing not only public performances but also rehearsals, many performing arts institutions attempted to adapt by offering new digital services. In particular this resulted in the free online streaming of previously recorded performances of many companies – especially orchestral performances and plays – lists of which were collated by journalists as well as bespoke crowdsourcing projects.

Ken Nwosu is a British actor.

References

  1. ↑ "Interview: Rob Myles on The Show Must Go Online" Theatre Weekly Retrieved 23 September 2020
  2. ↑ "The Show Must Go Online continues with Shakespeare’s Game of Thrones style saga, Henry VI." Secret London Retrieved 23 September 2020
  3. ↑ "The Show Must Go Online" Robert Myles Retrieved 23 September 2020
  4. ↑ "NEWS: The Show Must Go Online Announces Casting for Twelfth Night" Love London Love Culture Retrieved 23 September 2020
  5. ↑ "The Show Must Go Online’s Timon of Athens Cast Announced" Theatre Weekly Retrieved 01 October 2020
  6. ↑ "FULL CAST ANNOUNCED FOR THE SHOW MUST GO ONLINE LIVESTREAMED READING OF TITUS ANDRONICUS" Fairly Powered Productions Retrieved 23 September 2020
  7. ↑ "The Show Must Go Online Announces Cast for Henry IV Part II" Theatre Weekly Retrieved 23 September 2020
  8. ↑ "The Show Must Go Online announce the full cast for Henry VI Part II" London Theatre 1 Retrieved 23 September 2020
  9. ↑ "THE SHOW MUST GO ONLINE ANNOUNCE FULL CAST FOR LIVESTREAMED READING OF KING LEAR" At The Theatre Retrieved 23 September 2020
  10. ↑ "Cast Announced for The Show Must Go Online Livestreamed Reading of Richard III" Theatre Weekly Retrieved 23 September 2020
  11. ↑ "The Show Must Go Online: A Review of Digital Hamlet" The Badger Online Retrieved 23 September 2020
  12. ↑ "ONEOFF Award" The Offies Retrieved 20 November 2020
  13. ↑ "Middlesbrough-born actor to perform in live online Shakespeare performance" Teesside Live Retrieved 23 September 2020
  14. ↑ "The Show Must Go Online Announces Livestreamed Reading of THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN for Season Finale" Broadway World Retrieved 12 September 2021
  15. ↑ "Boris Johnson orders UK lockdown to be enforced by police" The Guardian Retrieved 24 September 2020
  16. ↑ "Covid-19 prompts all major British theatres to close doors" The Guardian Retrieved 01 October 2020
  17. ↑ "50 ways to experience culture from your couch" CNN Retrieved 23 September 2020
  18. ↑ "The Show Must Go Online" Stagedoor Retrieved 24 September 2020
  19. ↑ "New Online Reading Series to Work Through Shakespeare's Entire Catalog" Playbill Retrieved 23 September 2020
  20. ↑ "THE SHOW MUST GO ONLINE Launches - Livestreamed Readings of Shakespeare" Broadway World Retrieved 23 September 2020
  21. ↑ "Bard from my own home: how I starred in a virtual Shakespeare play" The Guardian Retrieved 01 October 2020
  22. ↑ "THE SHOW MUST GO ONLINE LAUNCHED – A LIVESTREAMED SERIES OF PERFORMED READINGS OF THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE" At the Theatre Retrieved 23 September 2020
  23. ↑ "THE SHOW MUST GO ONLINE ANNOUNCE FULL CAST FOR LIVESTREAMED READING OF KING LEAR" At The Theatre Retrieved 23 September 2020
  24. ↑ "RSC Performances - Michael Bertenshaw" Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Retrieved 23 September 2020
  25. ↑ "The Show Must Go Online Announces Cast for Hamlet" Theatre Weekly Retrieved 23 September 2020
  26. ↑ "Lockdown reviews: The Shows Must Go Online – Titus Andronicus" LouReviews Retrieved 23 September 2020
  27. ↑ "THE SHOW MUST GO ONLINE ANNOUNCE FULL CAST FOR LIVESTREAMED READING OF TIMON OF ATHENS" At The Theatre Retrieved 1 October 2020
  28. ↑ "Jeffrey Weissman goes back to the bard" Argus Courier Retrieved 23 September 2020
  29. ↑ "NEWS: Full Cast Announced for The Show Must Go Online’s The History of Henry IV Part II" Love London Love Culture Retrieved 23 September 2020
  30. ↑ "The Show Must Go Online Announce Full Cast For Livestreamed Reading Of HAMLET" Broadway World Retrieved 23 September 2020
  31. ↑ "The Show Must Go Online Reaches 100,000 Views in First Two Months" London Theatre 1 Retrieved 23 September 2020
  32. ↑ "Interview With…Rob Myles" Love London Love Culture Retrieved 01 October 2020
  33. ↑ "‘A roaring success’: The Show Must Go Online’s Shakespeare series makes an impressive start" My Theatre Mates Retrieved 01 October 2020
  34. ↑ "THE SHOW MUST GO ONLINE ANNOUNCE FULL CAST FOR LIVESTREAMED READING OF TIMON OF ATHENS" At The Theatre Retrieved 01 October 2020
  35. ↑ "BWW Interview: Robert Myles reflects on The Show Must Go Online" Broadway World Retrieved 18 December 2020
  36. ↑ "NEWS: The Show Must Go Online Announces Livestreamed Production of Ian Doescher’s William Shakespeare’s A Christmas Carol" Love London Love Culture Retrieved 18 December 2020
  37. ↑ "The Show Must Go Online Announces Livestreamed Production Of A CHRISTMAS CAROL" Broadway World Retrieved 18 December 2020
  38. ↑ BWW News Desk. "The Show Must Go Online Announces Livestreamed Reading Of PERICLES". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  39. ↑ "The Show Must Go Online Announce Livestreamed Reading Of Gallathea By John Lyly With Full Cast" Theatre Weekly Retrieved 22 April 2021
  40. ↑ "THE SHOW MUST GO ONLINE PRESENTS: GALLATHEA" Proudout Retrieved 22 April 2021
  41. ↑ "The Show Must Go Online Announce Cast Of Christopher Marlowe’s Dido Queen Of Carthage" Theatre Weekly Retrieved 16 June 2021
  42. ↑ "The Show Must Go Online Announces Livestreamed Reading of THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN for Season Finale" Broadway World Retrieved 12 September 2021
  43. ↑ "The Show Must Go Online: A Review of Digital Hamlet" The Badger Online Retrieved 23 September 2020
  44. ↑ "ONEOFF Award" The Offies Retrieved 20 November 2020
  45. ↑ "The Stage Awards 2022 shortlist: Digital Project of the Year" The Stage Retrieved 02 March 2022
  46. ↑ "The Stage Awards recognise understudies, covers and Theatre Royal Drury Lane" WhatsOnStage Retrieved 02 March 2022
  47. ↑ "Titus Andronicus – The Show Must Go Online – Review" London Theatre 1 Retrieved 23 September 2020
  48. ↑ "‘A roaring success’: The Show Must Go Online’s Shakespeare series makes an impressive start" MyTheatreMates Retrieved 23 September 2020
  49. ↑ "Romeo and Juliet – The Show Must Go Online" The Reviews Hub Retrieved 23 September 2020
  50. ↑ "The Show Must Go Online: A Review of Digital Hamlet" The Badger Online Retrieved 23 September 2020
  51. ↑ "“In the brave squares”: The Show Must Go Online" Folger Shakespeare Library Retrieved 23 October 2020
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.