Digital Theatre+ partners with Sonia Friedman Productions to Provide Education Platform for Walden
From Thursday 10th March 2022, schools, universities, and educational institutions all over the world will be able to see the digital streaming of Walden – the fresh and ambitious debut play by Amy Berryman. Walden stars Gemma Arterton, Fehinti Balogun and Lydia Wilson and is directed by Ian Rickson.
Running at 100 minutes, the production was filmed for the screen in May 2021 during its run at the Harold Pinter Theatre. The new streaming for education institutions is thanks to a partnership with producers Sonia Friedman Productions in association with Stage2View and Digital Theatre+, Digital Theatre’s education platform.
Set in the Colorado of the near future, Walden explores the intensity of familial love and loss against the backdrop of a climate emergency encroaching ever closer. After returning from a year-long Moon mission, Cassie, a NASA botanist, finds herself in a remote cabin in the woods, where her estranged twin sister, Stella, a former NASA architect, has found a new life with climate activist Bryan. Old wounds resurface as the sisters attempt to pick up the pieces of the rivalry that broke them apart.
Now this critically acclaimed play will be made available to students, and this will be followed by the release of a suite of educational resources for the play, produced by Digital Theatre+ designed to support teachers and educators in inspiring and engaging students studying.
The collaboration between Digital Theatre + and Sonia Friedman Productions follows earlier successful collaborations on Funny Girl (with Sky) Ghosts (with the Almeida) and most recently Uncle Vanya (with Angelica Films and the BBC) and is among a number of Digital Theatre+ partnerships with theatres and producers worldwide to capture and share original content with the education sector. Educational support packages are tailored to fit each production and can include including biographies, documentaries, essays, lectures, workshops, study guides, and interviews alongside other learning aids.
Sonia Friedman said: ““We’re thrilled to renew our collaboration with Digital Theatre+, following the enormous success of Uncle Vanya, by introducing Walden to students and educators worldwide. Walden is very much part of this moment – a new play by a new writer, Amy Berryman, bringing a fresh voice and perspective to address timely and timeless themes including the climate crisis and sustainability, sisterhood, personal responsibility and, ultimately, hope.”
Joshua Andrews of Stage2View comments: “Stage2View are honoured to have financed and produced the film capture of Sonia Friedman’s exquisite production of Walden. As theatre producers ourselves, we share Sonia’s desire to maximise accessibility and audience reach of such high-quality productions and stage performances, and in doing so celebrate the return of live theatre. It’s been a pleasure to collaborate with Sonia, the brilliant Ian Rickson and the whole Walden team.”
Neelay Patel, CEO of Digital Theatre+ said “We are incredibly pleased that Digital Theatre+ will now allow educational institutions to see to this compelling new work. Not only is it a very strong piece of writing and performance that throws a spotlight on the intricacies of personal relationships, but vitally important, it also provides a powerful analysis of the environmental crises we are all facing – something Digital Theatre+ is passionate about helping to communicate via education.
Digital Theatre+ is a global educational platform focused on the teaching of English and Performing Arts. The company works with all levels of education from age 11 up to Higher Education. Digital Theatre+ partners with the theatre industry, sharing captured and original content globally with educators and students from companies such as Frantic Assembly, Royal Shakespeare Company, Gecko, Complicite and the Lincoln Centre. DT+ works with theatre professionals to support their commitment to education, and to help instil a passion for theatre in young people that will help create the theatre goers of tomorrow.