AN Irish actor living in London has created an online theatre space to keep bringing drama to the people despite the government lockdown.
Kildare-born Barry McStay has been living and working in London since 2010.
When the coronavirus lockdown was announced last month, he was about to tour the UK in Vessel, a play by Irish writer Laura Wyatt O'Keeffe.
The tour was cancelled, like so many others, as theatres across the country closed.
But McStay, 34, was determined to find a way to keep bringing his work – and that of many other actors, writers and directors - to the audiences that still want to see it.
“When lockdown began, and having seen all my work and that of my friends and the industry I love essentially vanish overnight, I thought of trying to start an online theatre space where artists could continue making work, feel connected to each other, and hopefully earn maybe a bit of money” he told The Irish Post.
“And I also hoped it would be a space where audiences who are no longer able to visit their local theatres could gather for a show too,” he added.
Barry McStay and actor James Farley chat after one of the online performances McStay reached out to his writer friends through social media and found there were many who liked the idea, and so he set up the National eTheatr.
The concept is simple enough. The writers who have signed up to the project provide the scripts and work with the directors and the actors to rehearse them before the piece is eventually performed to camera, “as live - no cuts or stopping, like a theatre piece” McStay confirms.
The finished piece is then uploaded to the National eTheatr’s You Tube channel for their 'Youtube Premiere' at 7.30pm on one of four nights a week - they broadcast on Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturdays.
“Once that ends, the video is then on You Tube to be watched back like any other,” McStay explains.
“We encourage audiences to donate and all money donated to the project will be split evenly among the artists taking part.”
And while the work is all newly produced by those taking part, it hasn’t all been about the Covid-19 pandemic, McStay is happy to admit.
“Theatre should respond to our times and events, so we've had some great work directly addressing the lockdown,” he says.
“The pieces haven't all been to do with corona however, which is a relief, and hopefully it's creating partnerships and creative teams who might work together when all this is over.”
And the viewers are enjoying it too, although the donations so far are “not really high enough to make a dent in any of our lives”, McStay admits.
“People are so used to online entertainment being free or ‘cost-invisible’ like Netflix and asking people to chuck a fiver or a tenner per show to support unemployed theatre-makers in a time when so many people aren't making any money anyway is a difficult ask,” he adds.
“Having said all that - I wanted to do something. And judging by the reaction of so many of my friends and fellow artists, they did too.
“We need to reach out to each other, tell stories to the world and hopefully provide much needed inspiration and entertainment.
“So, I hope anyone who misses theatre and feels like they can support those of us who make it might visit us on National eTheatr.”
Follow National eTheatr on You Tube here and on Twitter @nationaletheatr.
