Melbourne’s The Age newspaper reported this week about British-based Internet venture Digital Theatre, who have secured corporate deals with many of Britain’s leading theatre companies for digital downloads of full-length stage productions.
Companies currently represented include The Royal Shakespeare Company (The Comedy of Errors, As You Like It), the Royal Court, Almeida Theatre, the Young Vic and the English Touring Theatre. Productions are available as complete downloads (SD, HD) or as streaming media (VOD – video on demand) for reasonable prices (8.99 pounds).
Unfortunately, there are only about 10 shows currently available for download. At the moment this is a bit limiting, but the concept is indeed a great one and this sort of venture should be supported by drama and theatre teachers, as video footage outside of quick YouTube clips is uncommon for productions from well-renowned companies such as these.
All downloads on Digital Theatre are legal with the various copyright holders receiving appropriate royalties.