Last week, I (Jamie) was on Front Row. This was to discuss the reopening of theatres and who that leaves behind. There, I was able to emphasise that the closing down of opportunities for people to see shows online was going to affect far more than just disabled people.
It’s pretty gutting to slowly see shows and opportunities and possibilities disappearing, but I don’t think things are completely bleak. While theatres stream fewer shows online than at the ‘height of the pandemic’, there is definitely more than there was before the pandemic. Furthermore, the skills, knowledge, and equipment still exist.
Online theatre is an access issue for lots of groups. This includes geographically dispersed people, people with parenting and caring responsibilities, people who cannot sit through a whole show, and people who cannot afford live theatre. Losing it is something we need to unite to fight against:
To hear me on Front Row, click here [link] – 17:26-19:22 , and there is a transcript below:
