It’s tough being stuck inside, especially in January! If you’re anything like us you’re missing theatre like crazy, so here are five stagey things you can do to cheer yourself up!
1. Relive the glitz and glam of the Oliviers
You can watch the highlights from the 2020 Olivier Awards on the Official London Theatre YouTube channel. While we couldn’t hold the Oliviers we’d planned, we still managed to honour our amazing nominees and winners and celebrate the magic of British theatre in a filmed ceremony last autumn.
Catch up on some of the best bits of the show as well as clips from the Olivier Awards over the last 10 years!
2. Connect with other theatre fans
We know that lockdown can be lonely, and one of the things we’re missing is the amazing sense of community and shared experience that surrounds theatre. So we’ve set up a brand new weekly Theatre Chat that you can join every Tuesday evening on Instagram Live.
Official London Theatre’s Jess, who’ll be setting up the chats each week said:
“Help, my boyfriend hates musical theatre! Being an avid theatre-goer, it’s no surprise that this past year has been challenging. One of the things I didn’t expect, though, is how much I’d miss not being able to fangirl about anything remotely theatre related – my partner couldn’t be less interested!
“I’m sure I’m not the only one going through this, so here at Official London Theatre we want to bring theatre-lovers together to talk about theatre memories, favourite shows, or even just the fact you finally managed to belt that top C without cracking. ”
So head over to the OLT Instagram for 6pm on Tuesdays to chat all things stagey. See you there!
3. Binge some musicals
We’ve put all our theatre nerd heads together and come up with a great list of all the musicals you can see right now on Netflix and Disney Plus in the UK.
So dim your lights, grab a glass of wine or a hot chocolate, pop on your cosiest slippers and get ready to belt it out along with your favourite musical. You could even put together a watch party and watch along with the friends and family you’re missing while we’re all staying at home!
4. Watch a theatre show online
We’ve put together a handy calendar of all the best bits you can catch online. Loads of theatres have put full productions – both old and new – online so you can still get a hit of theatre goodness while they remain closed.
Some theatres are selling online tickets to productions that should have gone ahead, which is a great way to support theatres who have been forced to once again close their doors to the public. There are plenty of bits and bobs online for free though – from full shows to video tours and historical archives, so check it out!
5. Do some mindful colouring
One of our fantastic designers, Tess, has put together some beautiful colouring sheets for your favourite West End hits. Colouring’s not just for kids! It can be incredibly relaxing and help to focus and clear your mind.
From Six to Harry Potter to Matilda, check out our page full of colouring sheets, fire up your printer and get creative. Don’t forget to share your finished artwork with us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter!
…treat someone else
Of course, it’s not just getting that makes you feel good; sharing the love can put a huge smile on your face too. If you’ve got a theatre-lover in your life who’s feeling a bit glum about a birthday in lockdown, cheer them up with the promise of theatre once this is all over.
Theatre Tokens can be used at 260 venues across the UK, including the West End, and have no expiry date so you can use them whenever you like!
As part of SOLT and UK Theatre, we are a not-for-profit organisation and have run Theatre Tokens for 36 years and so you can be reassured that every penny you spend with us is supporting the industry when we need it most, both now and in the future – win win!
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