by Thinus Ferreira
The video streaming service Marquee TV has launched in South Africa and is now making recorded performances of world-class dance, music and theatre productions available to online subscribers, while Covid-19 has promoted the State Theatre in Pretoria to launch an online streaming programme that it will run for the rest of the year showing "unforgettable past productions" and hopefully also some new ones.
Marquee TV at www.marquee.tv that launched in 2018 as a subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) has now become available in South Africa, streaming high-quality theatre content from the likes of the Royal Opera House, the Bolshoi Ballet, the Royal Shakespeare Company and Glyndebourne as well as many more.
Marquee TV costs R99.99 per month, or R999.99 for an annual subscription. Both options offer unlimited HD streaming and content can also be downloaded on mobile devices to watch later. The streamer also offers digital gift cards.
As part of an aggressive sampling and sign-up strategy, new subscribers get the first 14 days free and the streamer is also offering a 30% discount on new annual subscriptions, meaning that technically an annual Marquee TV subscription costs R699.99 for a year.
Marquee TV will compete with the likes of Netflix South Africa, MultiChoice's Showmax, Vodacom Video Play, VIU, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video and other smaller SVOD players but targets a specific niche market of performance arts lovers with its rich catalogue of contemporary and classic masterpieces, including dance, opera, music, theatre, and documentaries.
Marquee TV has been designed for a growing digital audience of culture lovers and the arts-curious, targeting screen audiences who wants to see theatre performances.
Marquee TV has thousands of hours of content, including exclusive titles, behind-the-scenes content, early releases, directors' cuts and shorts with a variety of curated, world-class contemporary and classic theatrical, dance, opera, and music performances from globally renowned artistic powerhouses.
Marquee TV can be streamed through the website as well as on phones on both iOS and Android, and is also available on Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV.
"Watching performances on-demand is a distinct experience from heading to the theatre and streaming is opening up cultural content to a new arts-curious generation," says Simon Walker, co-founder and CEO of Marquee TV.
"After successful launches in the United Kingdom, United States, Australia and New Zealand, we're thrilled to bring Marquee TV to South Africa, giving customers access to premier multi-genre performing arts content that is not available anywhere else."
Simon Walker says that Marquee TV has been positioned as a complementary option to the range of live and cinematic performances that are already available to South Africans.
"However, these are not regular times. With theatres, auditoriums and cinemas across the country closed due to Covid-19 restrictions, Marquee TV offers a convenient and exciting addition to South Africans’ in-home viewing options."
"An additional plus is that it’s available nationwide and not only in major centres – which is where most of the country’s live arts and culture performances tend to take place."
Programming line-up
Marquee TV’s
programming includes acclaimed productions such as the Bolshoi Ballet’s Sleeping
Beauty starring Svetlana Zakharova and David Hallberg and the Royal Shakespeare
Company’s Richard II starring David Tennant.
There is also The Royal Ballet’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland; the
Royal Opera House’s Madama Butterfly starring Ermonela Jaho; Glyndebourne’s
The Barber of Seville starring Danielle de Niese and Alessandro Corbelli and the New York City Ballet in Paris; as well as Kidd Pivot/Electric
Company Theatre’s Betroffenheit; and contemporary productions
by Akram Khan, Robert Wilson and Mark Morris.
New releases premiere every Saturday on Marquee TV. Recent premieres
have included La Traviata and Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci
from The Royal Opera; Swan Lake from The Royal Ballet, Giselle
from the English National Ballet and the Royal Shakespeare Company's Twelfth
Night.
Shows coming to Marquee TV in May include Romeo and Juliet from the Royal Shakespeare
Company that was just added, Glyndebourne’s Vanessa (16 May) and Coppelia
performed by the Bolshoi Ballet (30 May).
State Theatre launches online programme for 2020
Meanwhile, The State Theatre in Pretoria is also moving to online streaming with a new online programme that will replace its physical theatre-going experience for the rest of the year between May and December because of the Covid-19 national lockdown period.
"The streaming will comprise of unforgettable past productions that were recorded live at the State Theatre, and once the lockdown restrictions allow; will also look to add new productions to the schedule," says the theatre.
"Since 2014, we have been experimenting with bringing theatre online and on television," says Aubrey Sekhabi, State Theatre artistic director.
"With the lockdown, we are presented with an opportunity to experiment on this format. We are ready to launch, whilst providing relief for our artists to earn income. We also intend to solidify the online platform as an alternative or secondary platform for our artistic offering."
"We will be launching Africa Month celebrations on 24 May 2020 with the streaming of a never-seen-before performance by the multi Grammy-Awards winning acapella group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo; alongside the Guinness Record holder, Percy Maimela, Mamelodi-born Ncamisa Nqana and rounded off with Luthando Arts Academy’s soul-stirring 'Amawethu'."
Aubrey Sekhabi says that as the State Theatre establishes and grows its digital platform, it will reach audiences across Africa and the rest of the world. "This presents our artists with significantly greater earning opportunities when our productions are watched by paying audiences."
"As we navigate the possibilities and opportunities of live recording without audiences, we cannot wait to share with you our envisioned live concerts anchored by seasoned South African artists as well as offerings from Mmapula Setlhako and Hanna Van Tonder."
"In the same breath, we hope to be able to cover the set works so that we partner with the learners and the Department of Basic Education to bring these to them, in order to mitigate the interrupted learning process."
The State Theatre says that a full schedule with broadcast dates and times will be released in the coming days. All content will be loaded on the South African State Theatre’s YouTube channel.
