The Stage published an article at the end of October telling of a breakthrough in downloads for theatre.

We all know we can download films and music easily enough and watch TV programmes on such wonderful technological advances as Sky+, Virgin Media +, On Demand, etc.

However, for the theatre fan there weren’t many options other than physically going out to your local theatre to watch a show.

Nothing will ever compare to seeing the live action on stage, however, Digital Theatre does well in bringing the theatre to the viewer via online high definition downloads.

Each download costs £8.99 and the viewer can watch theatrical performances in full in the comfort of their own home.

Choice is limited at the moment, when I checked today, the only productions available for download were English Touring Theatre’s production of “Far from the Madding Crowd”; Almeida Theatre’s “Parlour Song” and  A Young Vic in association with Amnesty International production of “The Container”.

I think the idea itself is fantastic, especially for theatre fans like myself who don’t always have the time to physically visit the theatre. Also, the productions on the site are ones which may not be available in theatres elsewhere, again a good thing for those in more rural destinations.

However, the limited choice and the price are two negatives at the moment.

Personally, I wouldn’t yet purchase anything on the site but I will keep checking back to see any progress being made and in future will download a production and write a review on both the download and viewing process via Digital Theatre and the production itself.