A second lockdown means more nerve-fraying uncertainty for theatres – just as they were starting to rebuild

New restrictions are the latest exhausting development for an industry that has been suffering all year
Staying closed: The stage door at the Palace Theatre in the West End
Getty Images
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Today London’s theatres are finding themselves back in the last place they wanted to be: in hastily organised Zoom meetings, trying to work out what a second lockdown means for their reopening plans.

Of course, theatres understand the need to keep the public safe – they’ve spent months making their buildings Covid-secure, after all – but it’s still a cruel irony that the new restrictions have come just as the industry was cautiously beginning to find its feet. The National Theatre only got its doors back open 13 days ago; its first show since reopening will now have its entire run cancelled after press night this Wednesday. The NT staff I spoke to recently were well aware a second lockdown could derail their plans – but an awful amount of hard work is now stuck in stasis.

It’s a nerve-fraying development for a sector that has suffered greatly throughout the pandemic. Doors were closed to audiences back in March, with fully rehearsed productions mired in uncertainty. Producers and artistic directors called repeatedly for guidance on when they could reopen safely; jobs across the industry were lost as venues and companies awaited the arrival of the Cultural Recovery Fund. And now, those doors must close again.

From the Open Air Theatre’s outdoor concert production of Jesus Christ Superstar to the Bridge Theatre’s monologue season, painstakingly meticulous efforts have been made to ensure audiences feel safe and comfortable, and can get back to enjoying live performance again. Plans have also been made purposefully nimble and robust, anticipating and preparing for the effects of further disruption. Some might say the government could learn a lot from the way theatres have planned for their uncertain future.

The National Theatre’s Olivier auditorium being remodelled as in the round, to allow socially distanced audiences
Cameron Slater

For now, theatres are ploughing on with their plans for December, given the lockdown is due to end on December 2. Sonia Friedman Productions have already confirmed that The Pin’s debut comedy will go ahead from December 8 as planned, and Rufus Norris told the Standard that it will move forward with plans for its Christmas pantomime. Rehearsals for Six the Musical had been due to start today for its mid-November reopening; the set is still being loaded to its new home at the Lyric Theatre, and producer Kenny Wax is firm that the show will be ready to open as soon as lockdown lifts. Tickets for its first two weeks are completely sold out.

But uncertainty remains. Many theatres today were still not clear as to whether rehearsals, in a closed, Covid-secure environment, would be allowed to continue. Michael Gove’s comments yesterday, that the lockdown could be extended beyond December 2, sow further anxieties. And although furlough has been extended until the end of the year, the industry’s largely freelance workforce will be going into Christmas with their livelihoods still in doubt. Uncertainty breeds uncertainty, making it hard for audiences to feel confident about booking tickets, at a time when that box office income is most needed. Theatres knew there could be a second lockdown – they may not have been expecting its arrival to leave them with so many questions.

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