‘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.’
Lockdown has made me realise, as much as theatre, I’ve been missing live music
It feels slightly odd that my final show before the curtains came down wasn’t a play or musical – instead, it was a dance show.
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.
NEWS: SOLT & UK Theatre bring together leading theatrical charities as part of pan-industry support effort
SOLT and UK Theatre held an urgent meeting of leading theatrical charities on Monday 16 March 2020 to discuss ways to provide support for members of the theatre workforce – both on and offstage – affected by the unprecedented coronavirus situation.
NEWS: SOLT & UK Theatre launch helpline to support professionals’ health & wellbeing
Society of London Theatre (SOLT) and UK Theatre have launched Theatre Helpline, a free 24-hour phone and email service supporting theatre professionals with any issue affecting their health and wellbeing.
NEWS: London theatre attendances top 15,000,000 for the first time on record
Society of London Theatre (SOLT) has announced that 2017 was a record year for the capital’s theatre industry with attendances topping 15,000,000 for the first time since the organisation began collecting audience data in 1986.
NEWS: Kenny Wax appointed new President of Society of London Theatre
Society of London Theatre (SOLT) has announced that Kenny Wax has been appointed as its new President. Kenny brings extensive experience to SOLT having produced plays, musicals and family theatre in the West End. His current London productions include The Play That Goes Wrong (also running on Broadway), The Comedy About A Bank Robbery and La Strada. He has several …
NEWS: 35 participating shows announced for 20th annual Kids Week (in fact, a month)
Kids Week, the annual London theatre initiative run by the Society of London Theatre, returns for the whole of August 2017, with more than 35 shows offering free tickets for children.
NEWS: London theatre attendances down but revenues up in 2016
The Society of London Theatre’s 2016 Box Office figures demonstrate another robust year for the capital’s thriving theatre industry. Comparative highlights are: Gross revenue of £644,719,639, up 1.7% compared to 2015 Sales generated VAT receipts for the Treasury of £107,453,273 Attendances of 14,328,121 (down 2.8% year on year but number of performances down 5.95% on 2015) 76.7% of available seats filled, up 4.1% compared to 2015 and …
NEWS: Mayor opens booking for annual Get into London Theatre scheme
Booking has opened for Get Into London Theatre 2017, one of the theatre industry’s longest running audience development initiatives. Since 2002, London’s biggest and best-loved shows have offered tickets from £10, £20, £30 or £40 and this year Get Into London Theatre will run from 1 January to 10 February 2017.
NEWS: 2016 Kids Week gets under way & extends one week to 7 Sep
The annual London theatre initiative Kids Week began today (1 August 2016) and announced it would be extending until 7 September 2016 to mark the end of school summer holidays.
NEWS: SOLT & UK Theatre express concern over EU Referendum result
Following the referendum decision on the UK’s membership of the European Union, the Society of London Theatre (“SOLT”) and UK Theatre Association (“UK Theatre”) express concern as to the future for the theatre sector – a sector in which the UK leads the world both in creativity and in business.
NEWS: 500,000 head to West End Live, Full line-up announced for 20-21 June
West End LIVE in association with MasterCard takes place in Trafalgar Square on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June 2015. Now in its 11th year, this free annual event – the largest event of its type in the world – is organised by Westminster City Council and Official London Theatre and offers fantastic free family entertainment from London’s top theatre productions and attractions.
Where’s SOLT when you need it?
I came out of a matinee today at the Vaudeville to find that bus routes to take me from the Strand back across the river had been suspended: there was a fire in Holborn (see inset), and none were operating. After a few minutes, a bus arrived that was going as far as Waterloo — so I jumped on board that to get me part of the way. On the other side of Waterloo Bridge, it got held up in traffic — just as the northbound lanes of the bridge were being shut off.
Oops. It looked like a controlled kind of chaos was about to hit the West End. And as ever, it seemed that Twitter was providing (some of) the answers. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory tweeted, “Due to incident at Holborn, tonight’s 7.30pm performance of @CharlieChoc_UK has been CANCELLED.” On The Lion King’s website, they posted this update at 16:22: “Due to circumstances beyond our control, we have been left with no option than to cancel this evening’s performance.”
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