Matt Smith (Doctor Who) and Claire Foy (The Crown) are stepping out into new territory. Along with a tremendous credits on the large and small screen, both actors are highly respected for their work on the stage, a stage that has been dark since the beginning of the global COVID-19 shutdown. However, the show must go on, and the two talents are now set to reunite for the first live stage performance on the UK stage. Success or failure of the new platform could be used as a roadmap for the eventual reopening of Broadway.
According to Deadline, Foy and Smith will reteam to reprise their roles in the hit Duncan Macmillan play, Lungs. The performances, which are set for July, the pair will perform a version of the show that has been adapted so that they never come within more than two meters of each other (social distancing). The play will be performed on the stage at London’s Old Vic, but there will be nobody in the audience. Instead, they will sell online streaming tickets capped at just 1,000 per night. Tickets will range between $12-$80 USD, but fans are encouraged to donate extra money to support the theater.
The idea of performing a stage-show as a pay-per-view event is not new, but we are very interested in the price-range on the tickets. In the theater, the price of the ticket usually coincides with the quality of the seating. Does this mean that an $80 ticket will get to see the show streamed from the front row in HD, but the $12 ticket will be streamed through an iPhone six that is partially obstructed by a pillar on the second balcony?
If you are not familiar with the show, Lungs is “set around the melting ice caps, overpopulation and political unrest, and follows two people as they bring a baby into the world. “