Royal Opera House and Marquee TV Launch Joint Streaming Initiative

From today arts lovers can sign up for a no obligation 30-day free trial on Marquee TV, the international multi-genre performing arts streaming service. In collaboration with the Royal Opera House and the Royal Shakespeare Company, Marquee TV will bring you the very best of the performing arts on demand.

With arts and culture fans facing cancelled productions, closed venues and enforced self-isolation, the UK's major arts organisations have come together to bring their finest performances directly into audiences' homes.

The Royal Opera House and the Royal Shakespeare Company have been key partners of Marquee TV since launch. This new initiative - Every Night is Opening Night - will offer an enhanced programme of productions, including weekly premieres on Saturday evenings, as part of a 'virtual season'.

Marquee TV's weekly premieres will include La Traviata and Cavalleria Rusticana / Pagliacci from The Royal Opera; Swan Lake from The Royal Ballet, Giselle from English National Ballet and the Royal Shakespeare Company's Twelfth Night. These productions will sit alongside our existing offerings from the Bolshoi, Glyndebourne, Paris Opera, New York City Ballet and many more.

Gregory Doran, Artistic Director, Royal Shakespeare Company, said: 'Nothing can replace the experience of seeing a play live on stage. But with our theatres currently closed, and all of us spending much more time at home, we are pleased to be part of this initiative. This will give people from around the world the chance to see 18 of our recent productions for free at this time. We have been filming all of our Shakespeare plays since 2013, broadcasting them into cinemas and schools, and with some being accessible through Marquee TV. Shakespeare speaks to us unlike any other writer, and this partnership with Marquee will enable everyone to enjoy his work, bringing us together virtually at a time when many of us will be apart.'

Alex Beard, Royal Opera House Chief Executive said: 'It's vital in these challenging times that we bring the very best of our world-class productions to audiences across the globe, and we are absolutely delighted that people will have the opportunity to enjoy our performances for free over the next 30 days through this initiative. We hope to be performing again in the coming weeks and months but in the meantime, we are thrilled to bring the ROH and the extraordinary talents of our remarkable family of artists and craftspeople direct to everyone's homes.'

Susannah Simons, Editorial Director at Marquee TV, comments: 'In these difficult times, we are extremely proud to provide a platform for these global artistic powerhouses. If the audiences can't come to the arts, we will bring the arts to the audiences.'