A Place for We

Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World

Guidance 14+ • 1h 29m

Blurring a true crime podcast with a thrilling ride down the rabbit hole of Wikipedia, Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World delves into the unsolved murder of Iranian pop star Fereydoun Farrokhzad. Javaad Alipoor’s gripping production explores violence, digital culture and postcolonialism, revealing the limits of search engines in solving a decades old case.

All's Well That Ends Well

Guidance 13+ • 2h 41m

Set against the backdrop of the First World War, this Stratford Festival production reimagines Shakespeare’s comedy of unrequited love. In a daring adaptation by Scott Wentworth, Helen will go to any lengths to win the acceptance of the man she loves. Filmed live at the Tom Patterson Theatre in September 2022, this version explores the moral ambiguities in Shakespeare’s classic tale of devotion.

Hamlet

Guidance 13+ • 2h 45m

This bold adaptation of Shakespeare’s iconic tragedy explores identity, family, and revenge through a modern lens. Directed by Peter Pasyk and starring Amaka Umeh, the first artist of African descent and liminal gender experience to portray Hamlet at the Stratford Festival, this production shines a light on contemporary issues of selfhood and morality. Captured live at the Festival Theatre in October 2022.

1939

Guidance All Ages • 2h 4m

Co-written by Jani Lauzon and Kaitlyn Riordan, 1939 follows a group of Indigenous students in Canada staging a performance of Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well for the visit of King George VI. When they find parallels between themselves and the characters in the play, far from letting themselves be defined by colonial expectations, they set out to make Shakespeare’s bitter-sweet comedy defiantly their own. Captured live at Stratford Festival, 2022.

Othello

Guidance 15+ • 2h 40m

Rumours feed irrational jealousy in Shakespeare’s gripping psychological drama, filmed at the Stratford Festival in 2019. Othello and Desdemona defy racial prejudice by marrying, but deadly malice lurks where they least expect it. Nigel Shawn Williams’ contemporary adaptation exposes the racism and misogyny at the heart of this tragic tale.

Death and the King's Horseman

Guidance 13+ • 2h 33m

Written by Nobel Prize winner Wole Soyinka and inspired by a true story, this masterpiece celebrates a community striving to uphold its culture in the face of colonial power. In British-occupied Nigeria, a Yoruba king, the Alafin, has died, and it is the duty of his horseman, Elesin, to accompany him into the afterlife. Elesin proudly anticipates his transition to the next world – but the sacred ritual is interrupted, resulting in unforeseen tragedy. Captured live at Stratford Festival, 2022.

Serving Elizabeth

All Ages • 1h 46m

In this ingenious contemporary drama, two parallel narratives seem only coincidentally connected, until a surprising twist reveals a deeper relationship between the two. Weaving between 1950s Kenya and the impending visit of Princess Elizabeth, and London, England in 2015, where a young Kenyan-born Canadian is interning on a TV series about the royal family, this production explores issues of colonialism, nationalism and the question of who gets to have a voice. Captured live at Stratford Festival, Ontario in 2021.

Clowns

Guidance 13+ • 28m

Commissioned by the BBC and captured live at Battersea Arts Centre in 2018, Clowns is a bold and sarcastic commentary on society's ever-growing indifference to violence. Directed, choreographed and composed by Hofesh Shechter, this macabre comedy features ten world-class dancers and a striking percussive score, inviting viewers to ponder how far we will go in the name of entertainment.

Wise Children

Guidance 15+ • 2h 17m

Directed by Emma Rice, Wise Children follows Nora and Dora Chance – twin chorus girls with colourful pasts – celebrating their 75th birthday and reflecting on their family and careers in this extravagant tale of theatrical joy and pain. Captured live at York Theatre Royal in 2019, Angela Carter’s last novel comes to life in this unique and musical adaptation full of Shakespeare, scandal, and mischief.

The Flying Lovers Of Vitebsk

Guidance 10+ • 1h 29m

Daniel Jamieson’s The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk follows partners in life and on canvas, Marc and Bella Chagall, as they navigate the Pogroms, the Russian Revolution, and each other. Broadcasted live from Bristol Old Vic in 2020 and directed by Emma Rice, this colourful co-production from Bristol Old Vic, Kneehigh and Wise Children is woven throughout with music and dance inspired by Russian Jewish traditions.