Claire Foy and Matt Smith will reprise their roles in Duncan MacMillan’s Lungs for several live performances next month. Tickets will go on sale on the Old Vic website from midday on Wednesday 10 June for performances from 26 June to 4 July.
All performances will have the option to turn on live captions and audio description.
After co-starring in The Crown, the two played a young couple neurotically debating the merits of having a child in the funny and thought-provoking play directed by Matthew Warchus last year.
Next month, they will perform the play live to a totally empty audience for the first time ever. Up to 1,000 viewers per night will be able to watch the play online, with tickets costing between £10 and £65. While all “seats” will offer the same view, the Old Vic is asking people to give what they can to support the theatre.
The Old Vic recommends logging in or creating an account through their website ahead of time to make sure you can get the tickets you want.
Lungs marks the first in a new Old Vic: In Camera series of rehearsed play readings streamed online from the well-loved theatre.
The Old Vic said in a statement:
“Rekindling live performance in this irrepressible 202-year-old venue, albeit with minimal staging and accessible only via camera, is a genuine thrill for us.
“But this series is both an exciting creative experiment and also crucial in igniting the box office now all our usual channels of revenue have been entirely wiped out and we fight to preserve this beloved theatre for our audiences, surrounding schools and communities, staff, crew, and the myriad of writers, performers and creatives that work with us.”
The Old Vic was one of the first theatres to announce cancellations due to the Coronavirus pandemic and has warned that, as a charity, it is on a ‘seriously perilous’ financial position.