Coronavirus: West End Live goes virtual with Sky tie-up

Annual theatre showcase West End Live will return this year as a virtual offering, featuring performances from shows including Mamma Mia!, & Juliet and Six.

Virtual West End Live will feature stars from a variety of West End musicals performing on a weekly basis, beginning on May 21, and continuing for the following five Thursdays. The performances will be available for Sky customers.

Each week, a different production will be showcased, with cast members performing from their homes and answering audience questions.

This will be broadcast to audiences in place of West End Live 2020, which has been cancelled due to the lockdown.

Virtual West End Live is a partnership between Sky and the Society of London Theatre, which hosts the annual event.

The virtual version will be available free to existing Sky customers, with all content available on West End Live’s YouTube page from June 20 and 21, when the event was due to take place.

SOLT said: "West End Live are delighted to be working with Sky VIP, who were due to partner with this year’s event, to create six new teaser features of West End shows for their customers in the lead up to the weekend of the 20 and 21 June.

"But it doesn’t end there, Official London Theatre will be sharing the new Sky VIP performances that Sky helped to develop on their YouTube channel following what would have been the stagiest weekend of the year. Everybody can join the celebrations on the weekend itself on the West End Live social channels."

Virtual West End Live is part of a wider offering of theatre-related content from Sky, intended for people at home.

This also includes free acting and directing workshops for young people aged 11 to 14, hosted in partnership with the National Youth Theatre.

The 60-minute classes will be live-streamed, beginning today (May 13), and cover areas including comedy and Shakespeare.