The Fugard Theatre’s new digital platform The Fugard at Home launched on June 1, presenting a unique opportunity to access a range of theatrical content on The Fugard Theatre’s website.
Following the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the subsequent lockdown, and the current uncertainty about when theatres will be able to safely operate again, The Fugard Theatre has launched The Fugard at Home, in response to having to cancel their 2020 Season. It can be accessed via the theatre’s website.
From June 1, theatre loved are able to to stream some of The Fugard Theatre’s acclaimed past productions, visit the Information Hub to find out what is streaming both locally and globally, and even take a 360-degree tour of the Theatre’s foyer. Visitors can also learn more about Athol Fugard and his extensive body of work, as well as read up on the history of the building the Fugard is located in.
“All of the content on THE FUGARD AT HOMEwill be offered free of charge and as a public service to keep theatre and the arts alive in the homes and minds of our audiences during the pandemic,” says Lamees Albertus, General Manager and Producer of The Fugard Theatre.
The Fugard at Home will also feature, The Performer Series, which will go in to production soon. The Performer Serieswill provide a sterilised environment for multi-medium, single performer, performance pieces, including theatre, dance, music and more, to take place on the Fugard’s main stage, filmed and edited and then broadcast on the platform. Once launched, an episode will be released per week.
A highlight on the platform will be the opening of the Fugard Theatre’s production archive, where visitors can stream recorded live titles of a curated selection of The Fugard’s past productions. Available from 1 June will be Athol Fugard’s The Road to Mecca, starring South African legends Sandra Prinsloo and Marius Weyers and the award-winning Emily Child, which ran at the Fugard in 2018. The production received three Fleur du Cap Theatre Award nominations for Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Set Design for the late Saul Radomsky.
In addition, the compelling production of Fugard’s “Master Harold”…And The Boys, which was staged in celebration of the Fugards tenth birthday, will also be available to stream due to popular demand.
“We are hugely excited to launch THE FUGARD AT HOME platform, after weeks of hard work by The Fugard Theatre team. We encourage our audiences to explore and engage with the new platform, which has so much on offer. We will be announcing exciting additions to the platform in the weeks to come. The Fugard will return to presenting work on our glorious stage, but in the meantime, we can all play it safe and go digital through THE FUGARD AT HOME,” says Greg Karvellas, Artistic Director of The Fugard Theatre.
The Fugard at Home will be an ever evolving virtual platform and arts portal, including Fugard Theatre merchandise which will be released for sale on the platform soon. For access to offers and exclusive events on the platform, sign up as a Friend of The Fugard on the website.
Picture: Facebook / The Fugard Theatre