Stage and screen stars Claire Foy and Matt Smith will reunite in person for a string of socially distant performances of Lungs at the Old Vic in London June 28–July 4. The ticketed production, once again directed by Matthew Warchus, will be performed live in front of a camera for up to 1,000 patrons to enjoy remotely.
The streams will be available to watch internationally through Zoom. After purchasing a ticket, a unique login will be sent at least 24 hours in advance of the live streamed performance.
The programming, as previously reported, is part of Old Vic: In Camera, a new initiative of works live streamed from the Old Vic stage without an audience inside the theatre to ensure the safety of theatregoers and performers. In addition to Lungs, a handful of rehearsed play readings will take place, with dates and ticket information announced later.
“Lockdown hit just as the apocalyptic play Endgame was nearing the end of its Old Vic run,” said Warchus, who also serves as artistic director of the theatre. “It interrupted the launch of the following play, 4000 Miles, which beautifully explores the metaphorical distances between people. Suddenly everything seems resonant! Lungs is a dazzlingly funny and deeply moving play about the struggles of sharing, building and making a life in the context of a seemingly doomed world. I've no doubt it will resonate in many news ways right now.”
Duncan Macmillan’s play originally played the Old Vic in 2019 and was scheduled to play in Brooklyn this spring before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down theatres around the world.
In Lungs, Foy and Smith, who co-starred as Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip in the first two seasons of Netflix‘s The Crown, portray a couple grappling with the decision to bring a child into today‘s world.
For tickets and more information, visit OldVicTheatre.com.
