New York audiences who didn't have a chance to catch the Lortel-winning off-Broadway run of Emmy winner Phoebe Waller-Bridge's hit solo comedy Fleabag will now have an opportunity to see it from the comfort of their homes. Waller-Bridge, DryWrite, Soho Theatre and Annapurna Theatre, in partnership with National Theatre Live in London and Amazon Prime Video, have joined together to make the critically acclaimed filmed theater production available to stream to raise funds for several UK based charities that are on the front lines of combatting the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recorded at Wyndham’s Theatre and first broadcast to cinemas by NT Live in September 2019, Fleabag will be available to stream in the UK and Ireland first for an initial run beginning April 6 on Soho Theatre’s On Demand streaming site. For two weeks beginning on April 10, the taped performance will expand to include access on Soho Theatre On Demand in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, as well as on Amazon Prime Video (US, UK), which is the studio partner of the award-winning television series of the same name. The production will be available for 48-hour download for approximately $5.00.
All proceeds will be distributed to charities including The National Emergencies Trust, NHS Charities Together, Acting for Others and the newly launched Fleabag Support Fund, which will distribute grants to freelancers working in the UK theater industry affected by the COVID-19 crisis.
“I hope this filmed performance of Fleabag can help raise money while providing a little theatrical entertainment in these isolated times," Waller-Bridge said in a statement. "All money raised will support the people throughout our society who are fighting for us on the front lines and those financially devastated by the crisis, including those in the theater community. Thank you in advance to those who donate. Now go get into bed with Fleabag! It’s for charity!"
Waller-Bridge's Fleabag is a rip-roaring look at a woman who may appear emotionally unfiltered and oversexed—but that's just the tip of the iceberg. With family and friendships under strain and a guinea pig café struggling to keep afloat, she suddenly finds herself with nothing to lose.
The play was first seen at London's Soho Theatre before its Edinburgh Festival debut in 2013, later being adapted into a BBC Three Television series in partnership with Amazon Prime Video in 2016 and earning Waller-Bridge a BAFTA Award for Best Female Comedy Performance. The comedy's off-Broadway premiere at Soho Playhouse concluded on April 14, 2019. The production was nominated for two 2020 Olivier Awards, one for Waller-Bridge for Best Actress and The Noel Coward Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play. As previously reported, winners will be announced in the fall.
The wildly popular season two of the series garnered six 2019 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in A Comedy Series for Waller-Bridge.
Get pumped to watch the performance with the trailer below!