Lyric life

Lockdown Theatre Festival was created by actor Bertie Carvel in response to the closure of theatres amid the coronavirus crisis. On the weekend of the 13 and 14 June, it will bring to BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4 stage plays that had their scheduled runs cancelled or cut short by the pandemic, including our production of Mike Bartlett’s Love, Love, Love directed by Rachel O’Riordan.

Bertie said: “I want to create a cultural snapshot for posterity, because who knows what the future holds? Theatres up and down the country are facing an existential crisis. If I can find a way, every single production that has been forced off the stage because of the lockdown will find a new platform at this festival!”

Rachel said: “I am delighted to be part of Lockdown Theatre Festival. Our production of Love, Love, Love by Mike Bartlett had opened at the Lyric on Wednesday, and ran till the Saturday night. On the following Monday the 16 March, the cast arrived for work, and I told them we had to stop. The production never got to find its full expression; because that only happens as the company builds their relationship with an audience, over time, in performance. This chance to share our production is really special. Theatre is a live art form; the Lockdown Festival is an attempt to express the energy of a stage performance. We make theatre for audiences, for a shared space: we can’t right now, but this feels like a great reminder of how much fun we have together, and will again.”

Jonty Claypole, Director of BBC Arts commented: “When we launched Culture in Quarantine I was determined that we would support the performance sector by creating a repertory theatre of broadcast for audiences at home. Bertie’s ambitious project to shine a light on the work of theatres that had their runs cancelled, with Radio 3 and Radio 4, will add to our growing collection some of the very best theatre talents in the UK.”

Love, Love, Love will air on BBC Radio 3, directed by Rachel O’Riordan with composition and sound design by Simon Slater. The cast from the theatre production all return for the recording which includes; Nicholas Burns, Patrick Knowles, Isabella Laughland, Mike Noble and Rachael Stirling.

The festival will also include the Orange Tree Theatre production of The Mikvah Project by Josh Azouz on Radio 4, directed by Georgia Green with sound design by Lex Krosanke. The Royal Exchange, Manchester production of Rockets and Blue Lights by Winsome Pinnock on Radio 3 directed by Miranda Cromwell with sound design by Elena Pena & music by Femi Temowo. The Royal Court Theatre production of Shoe Lady by E. V. Crowe directed by Vicky Featherstone with sound design by Tony Gayle and music by Matthew Herbert.

The festival is produced by Reduced Listening and is part of the BBC Arts Culture in Quarantine initiative.