If watching Fleabag is the kind of thing you would do normally during this time, here is a chance to do that, and also support charitable causes. Phoebe Waller-Bridge, working with Amazon and Soho Theatre, has put up the original one-woman-show version of Fleabag, which grew into the hit and critically acclaimed TV series you have maybe heard about, online to stream in order to raise money for several charities responding to the coronavirus pandemic. The production, originally filmed at London’s Wyndham’s Theatre and aired as part of the National Theatre Live program in 2019, is available to stream in the U.K. and Ireland first, starting Monday, April 6, on Soho Theatre’s on-demand streaming site. It’ll then be available for two weeks, starting Friday, April 10, on Soho Theatre on Demand in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, as well as on Amazon Prime Video in the U.S. and U.K.
The production will cost £4 to stream, and all proceeds will be distributed to charities, including the National Emergencies Trust, NHS Charities Together, Acting for Others, and the new Fleabag Support Fund, which plans to distribute grants of £2,500 to freelancers working in the U.K. theater industry who are affected by the crisis. There are also plans to announce U.S. charities to support later this week. “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. “Thank you to all our partners and to the creative team who have waived their royalties from this production to raise money for such vital causes in this unbelievably challenging situation … Thank you in advance to those who donate. Now go get into bed with Fleabag! It’s for charity!”
