It is fair to say that Phoebe Waller-Bridge is the cultural Midas of the 2010s – everything she touches, from Fleabag to Killing Eve, to the hotly anticipated Bond film, turns to gold.
Her 2019 return to the stage, in which she brought the infamous Fleabag to the Wyndham’s theatre, was one of the year’s hottest and most elusive tickets. At the height of the shows acclaim, the resale value of tickets was some £600.
Broadcast by the National Theatre Live last year in cinemas, Waller-Bridge and her director Vicky Jones, made the decision to stream her performance of Fleabag online, with fees going towards a range of charities including the National Emergencies Trust, NHS Charities Together and Acting for Others.
Waller-Bridge said that: “I hope this filmed performance of Fleabag can help raise money while providing a little theatrical entertainment in these isolated times. 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.
“All money raised will support the people throughout our society who are fighting for us on the frontlines and those financially devastated by the crisis, including those in the theatre community. Thank you in advance to those who donate. Now go get into bed with Fleabag! It’s for charity!”
The Fleabag Support Fund has also been introduced, which will provide grants of £2,500 to freelances in the UK theatre industry.
The production is available in the UK and Ireland from today on the Soho theatre’s On Demand site. It will be shown on Amazon Prime from Friday.
