Star cast make theatrical history with live one-night-only virtual Zoom production

What I expected even less, was to find myself engrossed in a drama unfolding moment by moment.

However, that’s exactly what happened when I was invited to join the 1,000 or so lucky theatre-goers from all around the globe who had tickets for a one-night-only revival of Sir Tom Stoppard’s mid-Sixties play, A Separate Peace.

The first in a series of live Remote Readings (streamed virtual play readings) from producers Curtain Call, in partnership with Apples and Oranges Arts and Platform Presents, it proved to be no ordinary script in hand session. As the press release promised, ‘it was a reinvention of theatre’ and did indeed push the frontiers of live performance by creating new digital world in which traditional production roles such as director, designers, stage manager and others, could all work remotely. The choice of play was inspired too.

A Separate Peace is a gentle, enigmatic comedy set in a private nursing home. A short yet intriguing work, it brought together an impressive cast led by David Morrissey and Jenna Coleman with Denise Gough, Ed Stoppard and Maggie Service.

The theme, John’s quest for some isolation in which to do nothing, is one that is easy to relate to in the current climate and proved a thought-provoking distraction to lift spirits during lockdown. At the helm of the production was director Sam Yates - the last of his works I was lucky enough to catch being The Starry Messenger, with Matthew Broderick, on the West End last year, I knew we were in for a treat.

It was certainly an innovative and edge of the seat experience for audience and cast alike. The beauty of such simple ‘staging’ also served to highlight the draw of Stoppard’s words.

A tantalising glimpse of the possibilities of a ‘new normal’ for live theatre, then, for the foreseeable future at least. And an experiment that needs repeating. Here’s to the next Remote Read.

Stay safe.