Although this newsletter officially remains on hiatus and will resume publication on Monday 20 September, I’m interrupting my time on the beach for a second time to deliver this bulletin with the reviews of Back To The Future that opened officially at the West End’s Adelphi Theatre on Monday.
The West End needs to take the the Covid threat seriously
American Actors Equity are requiring actors and crew to be fully vaccinated as a condition of work. Again, in the UK, SOLT and Equity are not requiring this. Regular testing is deemed sufficient.
‘Freedom Day has turned into closure day’: A cry for help or a bid for headlines?
The press performance of Cinderella on Monday got cancelled, and so did last night’s “gala opening”; Andrew Lloyd Webber has now threatened to pull the plug on the entire show…. or has he?
NEWS: Theatres gear up for reopening following the 19 July roadmap announcement
Prime minister Boris Johnson has confirmed that England will move to Step 4 of the Government roadmap on 19 July 2021, meaning that theatres will be able to return to full attendance levels.
West End shows have a fight on their hands post ’Freedom Day’
Social distancing restrictions may be about to be lifted, but can the West End survive the mass self-isolation that the current virus surge will require?
NEWS: Delay to theatres fully reopening until at least 19 July is greeted with dismay across the industry
As predicted, the Government has confirmed it will shelve the full reopening of theatres in England until 19 July 2021 at the earliest.
NEWS: English theatres will reopen their doors from 17 May 2021
English theatres will finally be able to reopen their doors from next week after the Government today confirmed the next stage of its post lockdown roadmap will begin on 17 May 2021.
NEWS: SOLT & UK Theatre survey reveals 95% of theatre organisations are worse off due to Covid
A year ago, on 16 March 2020, theatres across the country closed their doors due to the pandemic. Survey results collected by the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) and UK Theatre from across the theatre sector paint a picture of an industry that has struggled to survive the past 12 months and faced huge financial strain – but remains resilient and adaptable.
Let’s avoid start-stop misery on the road to theatres’ recovery
On Monday Boris Johnson announced his (apparently irreversible) plans to take us out of lockdown forever. He even provided a detailed timetable of dates when each stage should be implemented.
NEWS: Government tier system announcement receives a mixed reaction
There has been a mixed response from theatres up and down the country to the Government’s announcement detailing which areas of England will fall into which Tier when the second lockdown comes to an end on 2 December 2020.
NEWS: New Coronavirus restrictions will limit capacity in Tier 1 & 2 theatres & close those in Tier 3
When England moves back into a Tier system at 12.01am on 2 December 2020, indoor theatre performances will be allowed in Tiers 1 and 2 with an audience of 1,000 socially distanced people or 50% occupancy, whichever is smaller. However, in Tier 3 such events will not be allowed.
NEWS: Eleanor Lloyd is appointed President of the Society of London Theatre
It has been announced at that Eleanor Lloyd will be the new President of the Society of London Theatre (SOLT). The appointment follows the conclusion of Kenny Wax’s three-year tenure.
NEWS: Don Black & Ian McKellen will be honoured as part of the Olivier Awards 2020
The announcement of this year’s Olivier Awards winners will be broadcast on ITV on 25 October 2020 at 10.20pm. Lyricist Don Black receives The Olivier Special Award for contribution to theatre and Ian McKellen will be honoured in his 80th year for his Ian McKellen On Stage tour.
NEWS: See It Safely toolkit is launched to support theatres & bolster audience confidence
The Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre have launched a new scheme called See It Safely, to support venues as they navigate the challenges of reopening, and to give audiences the confidence that venues are consistent in their approach and implementation of the latest guidelines.
NEWS: Anti-racism conference announced for UK theatre & dance sector
‘Speak – Listen – Reset – Heal’, an online anti-racism conference for the UK’s theatre and dance sectors is taking place in November 2020, presented by Inc Arts UK in partnership with Society of London Theatre (SOLT) and UK Theatre.
NEWS: The Olivier Awards 2020 winners will be announced in an October TV special filmed at the London Palladium
The winners of this year’s Oliver Awards 2020 with Mastercard will be announced on 25 October 2020 in a special programme hosted by Jason Manford and broadcast on ITV and Magic Radio.
NEWS: Arts Council awards £2 million to the Theatre Artists Fund & Help Musicians
The Arts Council has announced that £2 million has been awarded to the Theatre Artists Fund and Help Musicians’ Financial Hardship Funding programme.
‘In a year’s time, we would hope every theatre in the country is open & thriving’: SOLT chief executive Julian Bird on the way forward
‘The major question is that the majority of theatres cannot open with social distancing in place – it’s impossible, for economics, for the business case let alone the experience, it just doesn’t work.’
NEWS: Industry leaders launch coordinated effort to lobby for government support & welcome new taskforce
The theatre industry’s fightback was raised to a new level as, after more than two months of enforced venue closures, leaders coordinated efforts to pressure the government for further support, and DCMS appointed a new commissioner for Cultural Recovery.
NEWS: Theatre industry issues statement on Government aid for self-employed
A week after the UK Government announced its package for workers on the payroll, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has announced an economic relief package for self-employed workers and freelancers.
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