Top Picks for the week ahead 17th – 23rd April 2020
It’s hard to keep up with everything that’s become available, what’s launched and what’s new and what you wanted to watch and then forgot to. Fear not, we’ve done the hard work for you.
We’ve rounded up the best virtual events that you can join from anywhere, as long as there’s Wi-Fi!
We’ll be adding to this list all the time, so if you know of anything that should be on the list, please email hello@littlebird.co.uk.
OUR TOP PICKS FOR THE WEEK AHEAD
Treasure Island at The National Theatre at Home! (available from 16th April)
Couldn’t get a ticket to see Treasure Island at The National, now you can watch it for free as its streaming from 7pm UK time on Thursday 16th April. Available on demand until 23rd Apri
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera (Friday 17th April)
A different Lloyd Webber musical will stream each week on The Shows Must Go On!, his new YouTube channel, dedicated to these viewings. The 25th anniversary concert production, filmed at the Royal Albert Hall in 2011 will be available from 17th April for 48 hours only.
The Royal Ballet’s ‘The Metamorphosis’ at The Royal Opera House (From 17th – 26th April)
Plus watch Peter and the Wolf now on-demand until 26th April.
The Royal Opera House is offering a free programme of curated online broadcasts as part of our #OurHousetoYourHouse series. Full-length productions, musical masterclasses and glimpses behind the scenes can be seen for free via their Facebook Page or You Tube channel.
Secret Sofa from Secret Cinema – Every Friday, 7.30pm (sign up on Tuesdays)
Perhaps one for the teens in your house.Sign up for free and every Tuesday the Secret Sofa of the week will be announced via email, In true Secret Cinema style you’ll get suggestions of how to get involved from character and costume to era-defining music and activities to food and drink ideas (and ice cream, obviously) – how far you go is up to you. This week’s film is The Grand Budapest Hotel
Royal Albert Hall At Home! Opera for Kids (Saturday 18th April)
Albert’s Band’s very own soprano Susan Parkes and pianist Warren Mailley-Smith will deliver an exclusive Opera For Kids set from their home as part of the Royal Albert Home sessions.
They’ll take you on an operatic adventure from the comfort of your living room. Featuring arias from Bizet’s Carmen, Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro and Puccini’s Madam Butterfly, you can be blowing bubbles, pretending to be cats and searching for teddy bears along the way!
Strings Club – Join over five hours of activities for all! (Saturday 18th April)
Celebrating all things musical, magical and mindful this Saturday 18th April from 10am
Activities will range from an interactive Music Fun Club, Ukulele Extravaganza, Musical Bingo, Mid-Day Sunshine Gig, Guitar Gurus 4 Grown Ups, Bilinguasing Spanish, Violinista Superstar sessions for beginners, a Big Family Music Quiz
Every online session will be 30 mins and available on either Instagram Live, Facebook or Zoom.
Cinderella Pantomime (available until 19th April)
The 2019/20 Mercury Pantomime Cinderella, is now brought to your screens via YouTube Premiere – oh yes they are! Now you can relax and enjoy this fun filled, family friendly show from the comfort of your own home.
Big Fish, Little Fish Kitchen Rave at home! (Sundays at 3pm)
Free rave at your place! By families, for families. The team at BFLF will be bringing weekly raves every Sunday at 2pm on Facebook Live. A FREE PARTY beamed right into your house, with different Big Fish Little Fish teams and DJs on the decks. Now, more than ever, families need music, fun and dancing!
To get involved, all you need to do is like their Facebook page: And you’ll get a notification when they go live, so just click that and you’ll be in!
One World: Together At Home, Highlights on BBC1 Sunday 19th April, 7,45pm
This a global special event curated in collaboration with Lady Gaga, is in celebration and support of health care workers and the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization (WHO). Featuring over 70 artists including Taylor Swift, Camilla Cabello, Oprah Winfrey and Pharrell Williams amongst many many more!
BBC One will broadcast an adapted version on Sunday 19th April at 7:45pm, featuring highlights from the event, exclusive performances from UK artists and interviews with front line workers.
Fancy a spot of the Bard? (19th April – 3rd May)
Hamlet (Now Premiering on YouTube until Sunday 19 April)
The Globe Ensemble, including Artistic Director Michelle Terry, bring to life Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy, Hamlet, in the Globe Theatre.
Romeo and Juliett at Shakespeare’s Globe (Premiering on YouTube Monday 20 April, 7.00pm – Sunday 3 May)
Dominic Dromgoole’s production brings refreshing clarity to one of Shakespeare’s most famous and best-loved tragedies.
ANYTIME….
Oliver Jeffers reads a book a day!
Check out the man himself, reading some of his classics from The Way Back Home to The incredible Booking Eating Boy..
Live London Virtual Tours
Explore the hidden gardens of Tower Hill, The surprising history of the West End, or London’s hidden history of Trafalgar Square!
Gruffalo illustrator Axel Scheffler launches Free book!
Axel Scheffler has illustrated a digital book for primary school age children, free for anyone to read on screen or print out, about the coronavirus and the measures taken to control it.