Theatres are dark but, in these extraordinary times, Alec Baldwin can star in an independent Sydney-based production of Orphans thanks to YouTube.

BY MATTHEW MYERS

Orphans starring Alec Baldwin.

There’s no people like show people, they smile when they are low.”

Those famous lyrics by Ethel Merman are as relevant today as they were 70 years ago. Our theatres may be dark and box-offices closed but there are still plenty of showbiz folk who refuse to take the coronavirus lockdown lying down.

Many artists and production companies have taken to online steaming in an effort to not only keep their heads above water but to simply entertain.

For Sydney’s Red Line Productions, the innovative concept of a live-streamed play reading has found great success, drawing a worldwide audience, and setting a precedent for future productions. It all began in April with a reading of Lyle Kessler’s black comedy, Orphans.

As the pandemic hit, Red Line Productions’ Director, Andrew Henry, saw audiences abruptly disappear. “I saw the pattern in our theatre… and it was terrifying,” he says. “You could tell things were different. I retreated to my parent’s place for a few days, and it was then that the live streaming idea was born,” he says.