Indoor, Socially Distanced Theatre Can Resume In The UK

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/14/20 at 11:28am

Starting tomorrow, 8/15/20, (or 15/8/20 for my UK friends), the govt has allowed indoor performances to resume. Crossing my fingers for the best for them because like is, God knows they need this. 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 8/14/20 at 12:01pm

Jordan Catalano said: "Starting tomorrow, 8/15/20, (or 15/8/20 for my UK friends), the govt has allowed indoor performances to resume. Crossing my fingers for the best for them because like is, God knows they need this."

What this provides is an opportunity for super-creative and well-funded (i.e., rich benefactors or parents) artists to make something great work within largely unworkable constraints. As has been rehearsed, this should not be viewed as an opportunity for many if any conventional theatres, certainly not West End ones. Think of it as zoom readings 2.0 (and I agree with your post the other day that we have mostly grown weary of the zoom phenomenon that we eagerly embraced a few months ago. And as always, everything is subject to change without notice (hopefully soon enough in both directions instead of just one).

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/14/20 at 12:11pm

With tickets for a lot of big musicals on sale there for November/December, I’m still hopeful those can now happen.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 8/14/20 at 12:21pm

with social distancing I don't see how... but hope springs eternal

[Kad]

Posted: 8/14/20 at 12:24pm

Well, ALW will single-handedly cure COVID, praise be.

Updated On: 8/14/20 at 12:24 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/14/20 at 12:28pm

ALW’s new bio-Musical “Covid Christ Superstar” is gonna be amazing.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 8/14/20 at 12:34pm

Jordan Catalano said: "ALW’s new bio-Musical “Covid Christ Superstar” is gonna be amazing."

My only concern is that I don't know if he has the stamina to do 8 shows a week. (And of course there is no substitute for him playing the title role.)

[imeldasturn]

Posted: 8/14/20 at 12:34pm

Big West End productions won't come back any time soon, Harry Potter, les miz, hamilton, mamma mia and DEH have made that clear. But more intimate indoor shows will take place. The Bridge has a full season organized from late august to the end of October, that includes social distanced productions of a new David Hare solo show with Ralph Fiennes, and Alan Bennett's monologues from Talking Heads with a cast of A-listers that include Kriston Scott Thomas, Lesley Melville and Imelda Staunton. Plus of course The Mousetrap is still set to re-open in a couple of months. Things are looking reasonably good for London Theatre.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/14/20 at 1:09pm

Well, “Prince of Egypt”, “& Juliet”, “Pretty Woman” and other musicals all are scheduled to reopen (as of right now) by December.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/14/20 at 1:19pm

So, now we’re mocking Lloyd Webber for trying to help our industry? Cool. Makes sense.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 8/14/20 at 1:25pm

Oh stop it, it's called a joke. 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 8/14/20 at 1:36pm

iluvtheatertrash said: "So, now we’re mocking Lloyd Webber for trying to help our industry? Cool. Makes sense."

Yes we are.

What he is doing is hurting our industry in multiple ways. What he wants to do with theatres is what the governor of Georgia did with his state. You think that would be good? He is also hurting by creating false expectations that ultimately lead to disgusted theatregoers. No thanks. 

And yes it does make sense to mock him and his safety be damned perversion.

[ggersten]

Posted: 8/14/20 at 1:46pm

FYI: here is how Southwark Playhouse is getting people in and out for its (resumed) production of The Last Five Years.

https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/the-large/the-last-five-years/#covidfaqs

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 8/14/20 at 2:47pm

Any single Britons out there want to help get a disillusioned American playwright a green card?

[Dolly80]

Posted: 8/14/20 at 2:51pm

What good is this to anyone?
The west end is DEAD until social distancing is gone. The uk government are just passing the buck and making sure they don’t have to pay out any more support for the destroyed Arts industries.

This isn’t good news. It shows they just don’t care. Theatres cannot operate at 30% capacity. Is everyone supposed to work for free? This is not a way forward.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/14/20 at 3:42pm

Reopening has to start somewhere and this is a start. It’s not “perfect” but that’s the world we’re living in right now. Everyone is just trying to navigate their way through this the best they can.

[Princeton2]

Posted: 8/15/20 at 4:08am

This really isnt that big a change or good news. Aside some anomalies this doesnt really change the situation in the UK at all. Theatres cant operate under social distancing and be financially viable, as has been stated numerous times. The majority of regional theatres have cancelled or will be cancelling their pantos this year (aside a few exceptions) and for some theatres 70% of their income comes in during panto season so cancelling the panto is a disaster. Many big musicals have already said they are closed until next year and laying the casts off.