Wonderland to be Live-Streamed Worldwide for free

Hampstead Theatre in association with The Guardian announces
THE LIVE-STREAMING OF BETH STEEL’S NEW PLAY WONDERLAND
Directed by Edward Hall
Designed by Ashley Martin Davis
Lighting by Peter Mumford
Music by Simon Slater
Choreographed by Scott Ambler
Sound by Matt McKenzie

WORLDWIDE AND FREE SATURDAY 26 JULY AT 7.30pm

Wonderland will be live-streamed on Saturday 26 July 7.30pm over the internet worldwide and free on hampsteadtheatre.com and theguardian.com

An on demand version of the Wonderland live-streaming will be available for 72 hours immediately after the live stream on Hampstead Theatre and the Guardian’s website.

Hampstead Theatre believes in accessible theatre – Access for All – so as many people as possible have the opportunity to enjoy free quality theatre wherever they are.

Hampstead Theatre’s most recent play to be live-streamed and free to view was Howard Brenton’s Drawing The Line in January 2014, which was watched by over 20,000 people in 86 countries. In April 2013, Hampstead Theatre was the first to live-stream internationally for free with #Aiww: The Arrest Of Ai Weiwei.

‘I’m thrilled that Wonderland will be live-streamed, and I know the acting company and everybody associated with the production will be thrilled too. The play covers the shattering events that took place exactly thirty years ago, events that cut to the heart of British politics, that divided communities, that changed the country forever: the Miners’ Strike of 1984, the last English Civil War. It addresses both sides of the political divide, and will speak to people everywhere in the world, even though they may know nothing of what occurred. Live streaming allows us to tell this story, the story of us all, to anybody anywhere – and to do so completely free of charge. We’re really looking forward to it.’ Beth Steel

The Midlands, 1984. Two young lads are about to learn what it is to be a miner, to be accepted into the close camaraderie and initiated into a unique workplace where sweat, toil, collapsing roofs and explosions are all to be met with bawdy humour.

London, 1984. A conflicted Tory MP, a brash American CEO and an eccentric maverick are the face of a radical Conservative government preparing to do battle with the most powerful workforce, the miners.

As the two sides clash, the miners fight for their livelihoods and families, and the government for its vision of a free Britain. Together they change the fabric of the nation forever. Marking the thirtieth anniversary of the Miners’ Strike, Beth Steel’s epic and witty drama takes a 360 degree look at the clashing ideologies during the Strike in 1984 and presents the full sweep of the turbulent events that transformed the country – from the corridors of Westminster, to pitched battles with the police, to the coal faces of Nottinghamshire.

A finalist for The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for Best New Play, Wonderland is Steel’s first major play to be produced on the London stage following her writing debut Ditch (Old Vic Tunnels).

Hampstead Theatre’s Artistic Director Edward Hall directs following the sellout hits Sunny Afternoon (Hampstead/West End) and Chariots of Fire (Hampstead/West End).

Wonderland is performed by Nigel Betts, Paul Brennen, Dugald Bruce-Lockhart, Gunnar Cauthery, Paul Cawley, Michael Cochrane, Ben-Ryan Davies, Andrew Havill, David Moorst, Paul Rattray, Andrew Readman, Simon Slater, with Edd Muruako, Jack Pike, Guy Remy, Darius Ryan, Jack Silver and Thomas Winsor.

Hampstead Theatre has partnered with The Guardian to promote the live-streaming.

To watch the show live and free on the 26 July visit hampsteadtheatre.com or theguardian.com/stage. The show will also be available to watch on Hampstead Theatre’s YouTube channel.

The show will be available on demand for 72 hours following the live-stream on Hampstead’s and The Guardian’s website. Viewers can interact via twitter and facebook throughout the live-streaming using #WonderlandLiveStream. Follow Hamps_Theatre and guardianstage to join the conversation.

Hampstead Theatre’s Artistic Director and Director of Wonderland, Edward Hall said: “At Hampstead, we believe in accessible theatre – Access for All. As such, we’re thrilled to present our third free and live streamed production to the world. Our aim is to live Free Stream as many of our productions as possible so everyone has the opportunity to enjoy free quality theatre. Our previous Free Streamed productions have been watched from the home, in classrooms, in hospitals and by those ‘on-the-go’. Free Streaming allows us to break new ground and reach an audience who can’t access Hampstead Theatre in person. We hope people all over the country, and indeed, the world watch Wonderland and engage with this extraordinary piece of British history which coincides with the thirtieth anniversary of the Miners’ Strike. Hampstead Theatre is grateful to Beth, and the Company for their support in enabling us to show their work in this way.”