Six bestselling authors; five established directors, twenty astonishing actors, and six brand new plays – broadcast live in high definition… introducing Sky Arts: Theatre Live!

This July, Sky Arts brings live drama back to British television for the first time in twenty years as some of the most renowned names from literature, film and television come together to stage six theatrical world premieres, broadcast live on Sky Arts 1 and Sky Arts 1 HD weekly at 9pm from 8 July 2009.

Sky Arts Theatre Live! will see six highly successful authors make their debuts as playwrights collaborating with lauded directors and high-profile actors to create original plays, performed to a live audience in the purpose built Sky Arts Theatre Live! studio. The Sky Arts Theatre Live! company is led by artistic director Sandi Toksvig, and includes author Kate Mosse, actress Pauline Collins and director John Alderton.

Rehearsals for Sky Arts Theatre Live! will begin at The Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond in June, giving the creative team just three weeks to not only mount a brand new theatre production, but to stage a live television programme. The programme, hosted by Sandi Toksvig, will be introduced with unparalleled, behind the scenes access to the ‘making of’ each production, charting the highs and lows of producing for stage and screen simultaneously.

Following the world premiere performance of each play, both the audience at home and in studio will be encouraged to offer their response and reaction, adding another dimension to the traditional theatrical experience. The full creative team behind each play – actors, writer and director – will discuss the process in a live post-show discussion.

Sky Arts Theatre Live! is the first major drama initiative for Sky Arts, and represents a watershed for theatre on TV. Marrying the excitement of going to the theatre, with the accessibility and audience range of television, the unique format empowers audience to engage with live drama as they would in a theatre space, whilst simultaneously providing the critique, comment and discussion forum that television offers. Each play will be shot in high definition, further enhancing the theatrical experience for the viewer.

“For the first quarter-century of British Television drama was live.  Live drama has a rawness and immediacy in which anything can and did happen including on one sad occasion the death of the leading actor (Gareth Jones in ‘Underground’ on Armchair Theatre in 1958).  Now Sky Arts brings back genuine ‘reality’ television – drama as it happens, whatever happens.  Vibrant, immediate, warts and all.   I started my career in live television.  It has an energy that cannot be found elsewhere and I am delighted to be going back.” – Sandi Toksvig
 
“Sky Arts Theatre Live! is, quite simply, one of the most exciting projects we’ve got coming up this year – and that’s saying something, considering it’s up against Glyndebourne and Antony Gormley’s One & Other,” comments John Cassy, Channel Director for Sky Arts. “The current debate around cultural television programme will rage on, of course, but we’re absolutely convinced that a project as innovative and entertaining as Sky Arts Theatre Live! proves just how committed we are at Sky Arts to ensuring that arts on TV thrives.”

Sky Arts Theatre Live! is the flagship programme of Sky Arts’ theatre season for summer 2009, which will see the channel expand on its theatre offering with commissions such as Theatreland and documentaries including In The Company of Actors.