10 Shows to stream
1 THEATRE
Reasons to be Cheerful, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, streaming until August 3
Part gig, part play, this loud, bold and jubilant comingof-age tale celebrates Ian Dury and the Blockheads. The show is packed with punk attitude and stonecold classic songs like Hit Me with your Rhythm Stick and Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll, as well as the titular Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3. The show is presented by renowned theatre company Graeae, which is dedicated to placing disabled actors centre stage and challenging preconceptions. Seamlessly integrating British Sign Language and creative captioning, the show is available to watch via Graeae’s website as part of “Crips without Constraints” – an ambitious 11-week programme of online activity celebrating the creativity and diversity of disabled artists across the UK. It’s written by Paul Sirett and directed by Jenny Seale.
Where to watch: graeae.org
2 THEATRE
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare’s Globe, streaming June 15 to 28
Shakespeare put some of his most dazzling dramatic poetry at the service of this teasing, glittering, comical and remarkably inventive play, whose seriousness is only fleetingly glimpsed beneath its dreamlike surface.
Where to watch: Shakespeare’s Globe channel on YouTube
3 MUSIC
Lucy Dacus, Royal Albert Hall, June 17, 8.30pm Singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus will perform an exclusive set from her home as part of the Royal Albert Home sessions. Following the release of her widely-acclaimed second album Historian, and the collaborative boygenius EP with Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers, Dacus spent the past year rolling out a festive mix of original and cover songs tied to various celebratory occasions, including Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Halloween, Christmas and Bruce Springsteen’s birthday. The resulting record, 2019, is a captivating body of work that foregrounds Lucy’s versatility as both a cover artist and pre-eminent young songwriter of today. Where to watch: royalalberthall. com
4 BALLET
La Fille Mal Gardée, The Royal Ballet, streaming from June 12 Frederick Ashton’s final fulllength ballet, La Fille mal gardée (The Wayward Daughter) is one of his most joyous creations, inspired by his love for the Suffolk countryside. It is based on a 1789 French ballet originally created by Jean Dauberval. John Lanchbery created the music for Ashton’s ballet from Ferdinand Hérold’s 1828 score. La Fille mal gardée was a resounding success on its premiere in 1960 and has remained a firm favourite in The Royal Ballet’s repertory.
Where to watch: youtube.com/ royaloperahouse
5 OPERA
The Magic Flute,
The Royal Opera, streaming from June 19
Prince Tamino promises the Queen of the Night that he will rescue her daughter Pamina from the enchanter Sarastro. He begins his quest, accompanied by the bird-catcher Papageno - but all is not as it seems Julia Jones conducts The Royal Opera’s spellbinding production of Mozart’s much-loved opera with a cast including Roderick Williams.
Where to watch: youtube.com/ royaloperahouse