important – ¯_( ಠ_ಠ)

batcii:

madamepresidentknope:

girls don’t want boys girls want a full proshot non-concert version of les mis

THIS EXISTS.

I don’t know if people know this, maybe it’s common knowledge for Brits but it came as a wonderful surprise to me when I was in the UK; the V&A Museum in London have a National Video Archive of Performance that has professional recordings of West End shows from like, the past 20 years or so?? That you can access??? For free?????? IT’S WONDERFUL

So you can watch a professionally shot stage performance of the 2004 cast in Les Misérables, or Hayley Atwell in The Pride, or DanRad in Equus, or Matilda the Musical, or like, a lot of things

I went along in 2013 to watch Ben Whishaw’s 2004 Hamlet and I wish I’d had the chance to visit more because it’s SUCH A GOOD RESOURCE. You have to email and make bookings to view recordings, and the first time you visit you’ll be made a member and get a card and everything, but AFTER THAT they give you a disk and sit you in a room and you can watch your professionally shot West End show in peace. IT’S REALLY GREAT, YOU CAN EVEN TAKE A FRIEND.

The archive listings and how to book a screening are here. If you live in the UK and don’t have the cash to see v expensive West End shows, this is a really good alternative to bootlegs!!