Staged: Lockdown Laughs

On Friday, I discovered that the BBC had been airing a sitcom starring David Tennant and Michael Sheen that was filmed during the UK's lockdown. Staged is the first show I've seen that has directly been birthed by the pandemic, and having binge watched it all today, oh man, I could use a few seasons more. 

The concept is simple: Tennant and Sheen are playing exaggerated versions of themselves (with their partners making appearances as well, since the nature of lockdown is that the whole family gets to share in the shenanigans) and they have decided to rehearse a play they were supposed to be putting on in the West End before everything got shut down due to Covid-19. Simon Evans is their beleaguered director; he is intimidated by Michael and in cahoots with David to start up rehearsals over Zoom calls and try to ensure they are prepared so they can swan back into the theatre once lockdown restrictions lift. However, things quickly go off the rails as there are multiple obstacles to being productive over a Zoom conference call.

The true joy of this show comes from the banter between Sheen and Tennant. The two previously worked together on Good Omens and it is clear that they very much enjoy each other's company, even over a computer screen. The show was brilliantly written and directed by Simon Evans, but I would love to know how much improvisation was allowed, because the two leads look like they're just having a jolly old time and catching up with each other. I mean, what do you expect when you put together a Scotsman and a Welshman who are going mad during quarantine but are hyper-eloquent, fantastic theater actors who love a good turn of phrase? It is spectacularly silly and wonderful and truly captures the sense of utter boredom coupled with the need to be doing something interesting that has been the plight of us all in the past few months.

Staged is a very quick watch, only six episodes ranging from 15-20 minutes in length, and you can watch them all on BBC iPlayer already, even though the last two episodes are only due to air on TV on June 24. There are some spectacular cameos to look forward to - Episode 3 features a storyline about another actor who was offered the part that was then given to Michael, and when this person showed up on screen, my mind boggled. This show is a perfect example of the kind of creative endeavor we can relish in these unique global circumstances - if you have a solid script and fantastic actors who share a joyful camaraderie, a Zoom dial-in is the only thing you need to film a classic sitcom.