Indoor entertainment venues reopened on May 17 as England entered Step Three of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown. Further restrictions were due to be lifted on June 21 on Step Four, but, according to the Prime Minister’s latest briefing, that final stage has now been delayed to July 19 at the earliest.
That has a major impact on the arts, since there is currently a capacity limit in place – making many venues’ shows or exhibitions financially unviable, as Andrew Lloyd Webber and Sonia Friedman have pointed out – while nightclubs and large-scale events still can’t open at all.
Here is what the situation means for theatres, galleries, cinemas and music venues.
When will theatres reopen?
Indoor performances resumed on May 17, with capacity limited to 1,000 people. The same is true of outdoor performances of up to 4,000 attendees where some stand, or up to 10,000 attendees where all are seated.
Larger indoor performances cannot return until we reach Step Four on July 19, likewise large-scale events such as festivals.
Although some West End shows are now up and running, producers were banking on having full audiences again by late June, so there may be changes to scheduled runs – check the venue website for the latest information. Social distancing has a decisive effect on whether shows are financially viable or not, since it reduces the audience capacity dramatically, in some cases to one-third or less. Most major shows need around 70 to 80 per cent of seats filled merely to break even. That means some productions will not open until we reach Step Four.
For now, Covid precautions will likely remain in place: compulsory mask-wearing during performances, the use of e-tickets and card payments rather than cash, one-way systems, and frequent use of hand sanitiser.
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