By Mark Shenton
27 Oct 2009

Digital Theatre, a new initiative that offers high definition, downloadable theatre productions filmed in front of live audiences, has been launched with the release of Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd, adapted by Mark Healy for English Touring Theatre.

The new adaptation is directed by Kate Saxon with a cast that includes Stephen Billington, Phil Cheadle, Adam Croasdell and Rebecca O’Mara. In a press statement, English Touring Theatre's Rachel Tackley has commented, "We at English Touring Theatre are proud to be a part of this exciting new initiative. Our production of Far from the Madding Crowd played to packed theatres on tour last year and this filmed version cleverly captures the raw energy and dynamism of the live production, seamlessly transporting it to a whole new medium and to a whole new audience."

It will be followed by Clare Bayley's The Container, presented in association with the Young Vic (where it was recently presented in London, following an Edinburgh Fringe season a year ago) and Amnesty International. The play, which highlights the plight of illegal immigrants coming to the U.K, is directed by Tom Wright. In a press statement, the Young Vic's artistic director David Lan has stated, "The combination of new technologies that promise filmed versions of productions that retain vitality and immediacy and producers who understand the needs of artists is a winning one. To create a filmed version of a show as eccentric and challenging as The Container, set in a shipping container, was a challenge. We thought if Digital Theatre can make this work, they can do anything. And they have.”

English Touring Theatre and the Young Vic are two of the venture's first five creative partners, along with the Almeida Theare, Company, the Royal Court and the Royal Shakespeare Company, each of whom are currently collaborating with Digital Theatre with a view to contributing productions shortly.

In a press statement, co-founders Robert Delamere and Tom Shaw have said, "Our aim is to make Digital Theatre the focal point for theatre-based entertainment online. DigitalTheatre.com is a single destination site, acting as a vibrant source of information and content, providing continued enjoyment for traditional theatre goers as well as bringing great theatrical works to a wider audience."

For a cost of £8.99 per download, users can keep and enjoy access to each production from www.digitaltheatre.com or the individual partner theatre's website. The productions are available using the company's specially developed Theatre Player, which is compatible with all major browsers and operating systems. The company has been set up with an investment of over £1million and the support of the professional unions representing actors and backstage staff, Equity and BECTU.

In press statements, the artistic directors of the initial slate of partner theatres have all enthusiastically endorsed the project. The Almeida's Michael Attenborough comments, "The pleasure of working with Digital Theatre is that they are truly collaborative, it's a proper artistic partnership from start to finish. In the past this kind of work has been vulnerable to artistic and financial abuse, but Digital Theatre are thankfully so open about their process that the results have already progressed and advanced. We are really looking forward to developing our partnership and exploring what promises to be a really exciting future."

The Royal Court's Dominic Cooke has added, "We’re always looking for ways to bring our work to the largest possible number of people. And the potential of digital technology to connect with a worldwide audience is genuinely exciting." The RSC's Michael Boyd further comments, "There needs to be a revolutionising of the capture of live theatre, and we are enjoying the pursuit of that ambition with Digital Theatre."

Co-founder Robert Delamere is a theatre, opera, television and commercials director, best known for his theatre work where he has directed more than thirty productions, including Accidental Death of an Anarchist for the Donmar Warehouse, A Russian in the Woods for the Royal Shakespeare Company and Shoot the Crow in the West End. Tom Shaw is a producer and project manager who has worked within the fields of live events, commercials, television and radio.

For further information or to download productions, visit www.digitaltheatre.com