Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic and the consequent social distancing measures have brought about deep changes in live cultural events. The closing of theatres, arenas and all spaces normally used for cultural events and live performances, and the social distancing and the consequent impossibility of leaving home have led to a process of digitalization in all sectors, from work to school, deeply also affecting the cultural one, including the sector of live cultural events as theatre. Television channels and streaming platforms have offered their audiences the opportunity to watch plays and concerts, some recorded before the pandemic, and some shot during lockdown with the aim of being recorded and then broadcast on a screen. In addition to cultural events broadcast live on social networks, live entertainment has also found new and unexplored ways to reach its audience, such as concerts organized within online video games. This paper examines the case of Staged, a project produced by BBC that was created to comply with British citizens’ need to experience theatre while physical venues were closed.