Diana: A New Musical, Netflix

Covid-19 continues to disrupt and delay live theatre, but the producers of a new musical have found a way that the show can still go on. The all-singing, all-dancing stage show based on the life of Princess Diana began previews at the Longacre Theatre on Broadway in March 2020, but had to close due to coronavirus. Opening night has been rescheduled to 25 May 2021.

But ahead of the 2021 stage opening, Diana: A New Musical will premiere on Netflix, giving theatre fans all around the world a chance to see how Lady Diana Spencer's life translates to the stage. The show follows on from the success of Hamilton on Disney+, as the trend for theatre shows being shared on streaming platforms offers alternative ways for producers to survive the virus restrictions.

In a joint statement, the producers said: 'We speak for the entire company when we say that we couldn’t be more excited to finally be able to share our show with theatre-lovers everywhere. Though there is no substitute for the live theatre, we are honoured to be a part of the quality entertainment that Netflix provides its subscribers worldwide.'

Diana: A New Musical will be filmed on stage at the empty Longacre Theater with the original Broadway cast including Jeanna de Waal as Diana, Tony-winner Judy Kaye as The Queen and Roe Hartrampf as Prince Charles. With an award-winning creative team who have proved their talents on smash hits such as Memphis the Musical and Come From Away, the show has some big names behind it, but it remains to be seen how the Americanised take on royal romance, scandal and tragedy will chime with international audiences.

The show is due to stream on Netflix in 'early 2021'… watch this space for updates