As an avid theatre lover, you can’t help but want to take a piece of the theatre with you every time you go out and watch it live. Luckily for us all, Australian Theatre Live’s (ATL) new On Demand, digital, theatrical platform is an exciting new medium that enables you to stream Australian theatre anywhere, anytime. 

At first glance, the site is set up like a streaming service, assorted with a rich and diverse range of homegrown Aussie theatre. It is simple to use and is accessible on any device, making it the perfect tool to experience theatre anywhere: with friends, on the bus or even, within the comfort of your own home.

What I personally loved about the new site is that I was able to experience such a wide array of theatrical pieces, due to the site’s diverse range. All of this allowed me to reconnect with past performances, casts, companies, and even art forms. 

Not only does the platform provide you with the individual recordings of performances themselves, but also additional insights into the play. These add to the overall experience of your own individual viewing and allows you to fully understand the piece you’re watching. With this deeper insight and understanding you become a part of this new digital space of exchange and artistry.

From getting a taste of Michael Gow’s Away, a stunning, meaningful, and beautiful reimagination by Sydney Theatre Company, to Norm and Ahmed, a gut-wrenching, seat-gripping classic Aussie piece, and even, The Wharf Revue; ATL’s platform is the start of something new, something exciting for Aussie theatre - making it more accessible than ever. 

Something interesting to mention is that I saw Norm and Ahmed live in the theatre on the night it was filmed for ATL and also studied it for HSC Drama. Reconnecting with it in this digital format was an interesting experience in itself as I found new nuances and details in this piece I thought I had previously gotten to know. 

One small improvement may be towards the quantity of the pieces provided on the site. Although there is already a wide array of theatre, more pieces, I feel, would deeply benefit the site’s strong cohesive roots.

Despite the argument that theatre should only be protected in a live sense, I truly believe that platforms and opportunities for theatre to be continuously accessible and explored upon is so important. I look forward to revisiting the site and delving back into this digital landscape and handy theatrical platform in the future.

Australian Theatre Live’s On Demand platform truly enabled me to reconnect with Aussie theatre like never before and to shine some new, additional light on the horizon of this new age of theatre.  

Theatre at home. Theatre on the go. Theatre for all.

Find out more about ATL On Demand and how you can subscribe to the platform here.