LONDON (Reuters) - Fans of musical theatre forced by the coronavirus pandemic to stay at home will be able to watch some of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s most popular shows for free on Youtube every week.

The series, entitled “The Shows Must Go On!”, will kick off on Friday with a 2000 filmed version of Lloyd Webber’s ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ starring Donny Osmond and Joan Collins. It will be available for 48 hours from 1800 GMT.

The next show, on April 10, Good Friday, is a 2012 recording of the rock classic ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’, starring Ben Forster, Tim Minchin and Melanie C of Spice Girls’ fame.

Although the shows will be free to watch, people will be encouraged to make a donation to various charities that will be listed on each video.

Clips of performances and behind-the-scenes footage will also be uploaded regularly onto the channel here

Reporting by Reuters TV; Writing by Gareth Jones; Editing by Janet Lawrence