Independent theatre to be broadcast live on the BBC

Four independent theatre performances will be broadcast live on BBC Four, as part of a £350k initiative supported by Arts Council England and Battersea Arts Centre. ‘Live from Television Centre’ will feature performances by Gecko, Richard Dedomenici – the artist known for recreating, or ‘reduxing’ scenes from film and television – Common Wealth and Touretteshero. An additional performance by Islington Community Theatre will be released on BBC iPlayer on the same day.

Artistic Director and CEO of Battersea Arts Centre David Jubb praised the programme for challenging the idea that independent theatre is exclusively experimental or of fringe interest: “…much of their theatre is deeply accessible. I think their ideas and perspectives can speak to a large audience who might be interested in more conventional forms of theatre.”

Neil Darlison, Director of Theatre at Arts Council England, hopes the initiative, which is part of the part of the BBC’s ‘On Stage’ season, will “attract new audiences to theatre whilst exploring new ways for theatre and programme-makers to collaborate on commissioning and creating new work for television, online and other platforms”.

‘Live from Television Centre’ will be broadcast live on BBC Four on Sunday 15 November.