Acclaimed South Street theatre show 'Behind Closed Doors' now available online
- Behind Closed Doors will be available for a limited time only until Friday 12th March.
- Enjoy the performance from the comfort of your own home, on-demand at a time of your choosing.
READING’S South Street Arts Centre has just launched an online version of its acclaimed theatre show 'Behind Closed Doors.’
Produced as part of the arts centre’s award-winning ‘theatre in unusual spaces’ strand SITELINES, this innovative Arts Council funded show was created in collaboration with resident artists in an attempt to address ‘the strange times we all find ourselves in – whilst we’re still experiencing them.’
Behind Closed Doors spans the centuries to explore stories of isolation and separation. The live show was made for small audiences of 20 per show who watched in individual ‘Covid’ secure booths. The show proved extremely popular, with glowing reviews from the audience, including:
“A moving and compelling response to the subject of isolation. Wonderfully staged.”
“A beautifully crafted piece, touching and poignant. The character interchanges were skilled.”
By providing a film version, it is hoped many people who were unable to attend the live show will now be able to enjoy the performance from the comfort of their own homes, on-demand at a time of their choosing.
Cllr Karen Rowland, Reading Council’s Lead Councillor for Culture, Heritage and Recreation, said: “I am absolutely delighted we can now offer ‘Behind Closed Doors’ online. The live show, staged with COVID safety measures, was sold-out, so I’m sure there are many people out there who will be keen to experience the show virtually.
“This show explores topics so deeply relevant to our current circumstances as we all grapple with life during a pandemic – but are also timeless interrogations of the human condition – storytelling at its absolute best.
“With South Street unable to present shows at present, this move to offering pay-per-view streaming represents an exciting and innovative way to re-engage with our audiences. This is a first for us – being able to offer virtual, paid for shows hosted at https://whatsonreading.com
“Our new Reading Arts bespoke system offers a seamless way for audiences in Reading and beyond to buy a ticket and watch original, professional content straight away – without having to wait for links or visit third-party sites. I hope this pilot virtual show will herald the expansion of a new online cultural offer – extremely welcome in the circumstances we currently find ourselves in. Watch this space!
“Don’t forget to also check out our amazing Reading Culture Live website www.readingculturelive.co.uk which offers a huge range of free content created by Reading-based artists and organisations and streamed directly to your home.”
Executive director of Reading UK, Nigel Horton-Baker, commented: “It’s fantastic to see the pilot of South Street’s film of the theatre show, Behind Closed Doors. Arts and culture play a hugely important role, both in our community and in our general health and wellbeing, so I’m proud that Reading UK has been able to support the funding of this film. We are all missing our cultural fix, so it’s wonderful to see our local arts organisations adapt to the ongoing situation, using the power of technology to continue to deliver top cultural content to the people of Reading. It is also another great contribution to Reading’s 2050 Vision which we launched in 2018 to develop Reading as a place of ‘culture and diversity’.
“Part of an ongoing partnership with Reading Borough Council and Reading University, Reading’s virtual venue, Reading Culture Live, was launched in the first lockdown as a way to provide local arts organisations with a platform for their work while venues remain closed. And, as we continue through our third lockdown, I’m proud to see the site continues to offer a huge range of free content from over 100 local organisations, which has really lifted our spirits during these challenging times.”
Tickets start from £5 – any additional donations will go directly to support creating new theatre work for Reading audiences.
Tickets automatically give access to the video hosted at https://whatsonreading.com
Behind Closed Doors will be available for a limited time only until 23.59 on Friday 12th March. Any problems please contact the Box Office.
Ends
Notes
Behind Closed Doors: Recorded at South Street Arts Centre on 28th & 29th October 2020.
Written & Performed by Sabina Netherclift & Benedict Sandiford
Produced by John Luther
Production Managed by Adrian Croton
Sound Design by Dan Bryan
Props & models by Nigel Bish
Set by Steve Foster
Original music by knifedoutofexistence
Film shot & edited by Henry Steedman.
Supported by Arts Council England with public funding from the National Lottery.
Film supported by Reading UK.
South Street Background
South Street has produced a run of acclaimed shows exploring the history & landscape of Reading through innovatively staged experiences in unusual locations of importance to the local community.
Reading Borough Council’s Reading Arts & Venues runs the three main arts venues in Reading. This includes The Hexagon, South Street Arts Centre and The Concert Hall at the Town Hall. It also incorporates box office services for other local and national events and festivals.
About Arts Council England
Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. By 2030 we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where every one of us has access to a remarkable range of high-quality cultural experiences. Between 2018 and 2022, we will invest £1.45 billion of public money from government and an estimated £860 million from the National Lottery to help deliver this vision. www.artscouncil.org.uk