Strode Theatre offering digital entertainment for Cheddar audiences

With theatres and cinemas closed and communal life in the "physical world" put on hold, the team at Strode Theatre, which attracts audiences from Cheddar, have decided not to give up on its primary purpose - to be the heart of the community, bring people together and provide entertainment, diversion, creativity and culture.

It will be harder to fulfil that purpose in lock-down, without the theatre's facilities, but, theatre manager Robin Peters promises, "absolutely possible".

With theatre companies, bands, performers and promoters generously offering content for free online, the theatre is promoting a digital programme via social media and through its website, pointing their patrons in the direction of live-streams, recordings and videos from around the web - performances, concerts, exhibitions, talks and shows from the UK and around the world - which started yesterday (March 30) with a Facebook streaming from Exhibition on Screen, Vincent Van Gogh – A New Way Of Seeing.

Further events selected for viewing together online this week are National Theatre's One Man, Two Guvnors on Thursday April 2 at 7pm, Gandini Juggling with Smashed on Friday April 3 at 7pm, and a live-streamed performance by folk duo Ninebarrow on Saturday April 4 at 7pm.

While everyone can, of course, press play on many of these videos at any time that suits them, the theatre is hoping to get audiences together online at the same time, so that even though they can't be in the same auditorium, they're still having the shared experience and the opportunity to chat about the event on the theatre's Facebook page afterwards.

The plans have already met with huge enthusiasm from Strode Theatre's patrons, and the Theatre team are eagerly awaiting the "post show" discussions.