A host of Hollywood stars have combined on YouTube for a live reading of a play about the fight for equal marriage rights in the United States.

Penned by ‘Milk’ writer Dustin Lance Black, the play, ‘8’, tells the story of the legal battle by the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) to overturn Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment that removed the right for same-sex couples to marry in California.

Among the cast were such acting heavyweights as Martin Sheen, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Jamie Lee Curtis and John C Reilly, as well as gay rights spokesperson and former Star Trek star George Takei. The director was Rob Reiner, responsible for classics such as ‘The Princess Bride’ and ‘This is Spinal Tap’.

Google has also announced plans for a series of live debates run via YouTube and the search giant’s social network, Google+.  The first debate will ask whether it’s time to end the war on drugs, and feature arguments from experts as well as personalities like Russell Brand, Julian Assange, and Richard Branson.

The play was read live over the weekend, and the performance has now been posted to the AFER YouTube page. Go here to check it out, or here for more on the debates, the first of which will take place on March 13 at 7pm GMT (8am on March 14 NZ time).