Who?
I’m a 30-year-old bisexual journalist living with my partner and two cats in Leicestershire in the United Kingdom.
What?
A virtual theatre club run via Discord, with separate channels for listings, program notes, pre-show drinks in the virtual bar and live discussion and commentary while we watch a streaming of a play, musical, opera, ballet or other live performance.
Why?
It started as a one-off activity for a close friend’s birthday during the first lockdown, when we got together to watch and discuss the National Theatre’s Jane Eyre online. Once it became apparent that the pandemic wasn’t going to be over quickly, my friend Merry had the idea for the Discord server and an ongoing program of virtual theatre trips. It has grown from there. I don’t attend every one, but there has been at least one watch-along a week since the spring of 2020, and sometimes many more than that.
Like many people, I’ve struggled with isolation from friends, community and creative outlets during the pandemic. My mental health has suffered as a result, and the sheer boredom of existing in locked-down life has made that even harder.
I used to be a very busy, very sociable person with something in the diary most days of the week. Of course, most of those activities—from going dancing to just grabbing coffee with a friend—have now been completely impossible for the better part of a year.
I used to work in theatre, and I loved going to see shows with my partner or friends before the pandemic hit. So carrying that on through a virtual medium just made sense!
In addition, many of us who take part in the virtual watch-alongs are disabled or on low incomes, making attending live performance events challenging or inaccessible. For that reason, I think we’ll carry on with this post-COVID-19, even if a little less frequently.
Making connections
I’ve personally found it incredibly hard to stay connected with people during the pandemic. My mental health has fluctuated wildly and I’ve had very low moments—hardly a unique experience in these weird times.
One of the challenging elements of the pandemic has been a lack of concrete plans. A combination of working from home, plus having no events, parties, social gatherings or even casual get-togethers with friends to go to, has led to every day feeling more or less the same. Having plans on a specified day and at a particular time, even if they take place online, has helped to give days structure. Having something in my diary that isn’t yet another work Zoom call helps me remember that I still have friends, a community and a social life.
“Having plans on a specified day and at a particular time, even if they take place online, has helped to give days structure.”
Another challenge during the pandemic has been knowing what to talk to friends about. Catching up for a virtual coffee is lovely, but there’s limited fodder for conversation when all you’ve done is stayed home, worked remotely, binged 17 hours of Netflix in your pyjamas and tried not to lose your mind. Having an activity to do and something specific to talk about—the play or show we’re watching—has made socializing and maintaining connections easier.
How queer is it?
Pretty queer! It’s not an exclusively queer group or activity by any means, but a large majority of us fall somewhere under the LGBTQ+ umbrella. We’ve watched a wide range of productions, from Shakespeare and ballet to opera and musical theatre, and our discussions often veer into talking about the explicit or implicit queer themes in the things we watch.
Tech issues?
Surprisingly, not too many! There have been a few occasions where someone’s internet connection has misbehaved and one instance where something completely refused to play for several people (that turned out to be a broader issue with the streaming service). But on the whole, it’s been fairly smooth.
Surprise!
The biggest surprise when all this started was the sheer range of material on offer. More and more companies and producers have been putting their productions online throughout the pandemic, and new ones are still popping up every week. I’ve seen things I would never have had the opportunity to see in person due to geography, cost or timing.
There was one occasion where we had to stop watching because the play—an interpretation of The Winter’s Tale with a particularly brutal portrayal of domestic abuse—was just too upsetting. But the best thing about the online theatre? If you realize you’re collectively not in the mood for dark and depressing, you can easily switch to something lighter!
Fave performance?
A definite highlight was when Hamilton landed on Disney+ in the summer. I’d seen the show live in London back in 2018, but getting to see the recording with the original Broadway cast, with the inimitable Lin-Manuel Miranda in the title role, was incredible. It’s also such a high-energy, wordy show with multiple things happening on stage at once. I could probably watch it 20 times and get something new out of it every time!
Another highlight was Twelfth Night from the National Theatre with Tamsin Greig as Malvolia—a gender-flipped Malvolio. It was huge fun, and Greig, alongside Phoebe Fox as Olivia, brought some amazing gender-fluid energy to (arguably) Shakespeare’s queerest play.
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