RADIO: David Tennant Contributes To In The Studio's Tale Of The RSC In 2020 On BBC Sounds



The Royal Shakespeare Company’s Artistic Director Greg Doran and Deputy Artistic Director Erica Whyman take a look back at the company’s year under COVID-19 in RSC: The Bard, the Theatre and a Pandemic, an episode in the BBC World Service series In The Studio.

With a star studded cast including David Tennant and Noma Dumezweni, and a backstage team featuring creatives from the company, In The Studio presents the tale of the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2020 as a global pandemic brought the curtain down on productions from this major British theatre organisation.

The episode is available to hear via BBC Sounds: listen here.

The annual million plus ticket sales of the RSC’s shows in Stratford-upon-Avon, London’s West End and touring productions all over the world dried up overnight - threatening the organisation’s future. The BBC’s Karl Bos has been following the RSC over several months to find out how they are adapting to the ‘new normal’ - moving their huge international education programmes online and finding innovative ways to keep performing in a digital space. All the while, waiting for news on a crucial government loan that will affect the shape of the organisation.

Shakespeare himself was no stranger to pandemics - the theatres were closed for long stretches in his lifetime due to the plague. We'll hear how the Great Bard's words have helped these theatre makers make it through a difficult year and how they've been plotting ways to get back onstage amidst constantly changing restrictions.

RSC: The Bard, the Theatre and a Pandemic is presented by Karl Bos and produced by Karl Bos and Ella-mai Robey for the BBC World Service.

 

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