Matt Smith and Claire Foy team up for socially distanced theatre livestream of Lungs

The Old Vic theatre in London has announced that Matt Smith and Claire Foy will be participating in a socially distanced version of Duncan Macmillan's play Lungs, with footage being live streamed directly from The Old Vic stage.

Each live stream will be capped at 1,000 viewers per night, in addition to occasional matinees, and tickets will be priced at the same rate as they would be in the auditorium, from £10–£65.

Although all seats obviously offer the same view the theatre are asking audiences to give what they can to help support the theatre in return for access to "this totally unique experience", while there is also the option to add a further donation.

The performances will be the first in a new programme titled Old Vic: In Camera, an artistic initiative which will also include a major series of rehearsed play-readings from the stage and is intended as an effort to save the theatre from a perilous financial situation brought on by the forced closure.

A statement from The Old Vic said, "Rekindling live performance in this irrepressible 202-year-old venue, albeit with minimal staging and accessible only via camera, is a genuine thrill for us.

"But this series is both an exciting creative experiment and also crucial in igniting the box office now all our usual channels of revenue have been entirely wiped out and we fight to preserve this beloved theatre for our audiences, surrounding schools and communities, staff, crew, and the myriad of writers, performers and creatives that work with us."

The Crown stars Smith and Foy had previously starred in a production of Lungs at the theatre last year, with the play and their performances both earning rave reviews.

Exact dates and details about how to buy tickets, in addition to news regarding the other performances in the series, will be announced in due course.

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