As the omicron variant continues to be an increasing threat around the world, many productions in London's West End and beyond have been forced to cancel performances following positive test results within their companies.

Today, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the UK government will be expanding the legal requirement to wear a mask in public venues. 

Following the most recent government guidance, the Donmar Warehouse has made the decision to mandate the use of face coverings at all times in their theatre, including in the auditorium, and to ask for proof of Covid vaccination or a negative lateral flow test.

The Royal Shakespeare Company has announced that face coverings must now be worn at all times within RSC buildings and theatres, including in the auditorium.

Be More Chill has joined the growing list of West End shows to have to suspend performances due to a positive COVID test result within its company. 

Learn more about options you have as a patron of the theatres here!

As BroadwayWorld reported yesterday, Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella will not open this week as previously planned. This past weekend, the production was forced to cancel both performances set to take place on 17 July 2021, due to 'Covid related precautionary measures.'

Following today’s official Government confirmation that remaining Covid restrictions will be lifted from 19 July in England, UK theatres are looking forward to welcoming back audiences. President of UK Theatre, said: ‘This will hopefully be a turning point on the road to recovery and longer-term financial viability for our world-leading sector,'

The Government has announced that it is extending restrictions around COVID-19 contacts in England until 16 August.

English life looks set to return to something resembling normalcy from July 19, following UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's announcement this evening that the majority of the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus are due to end in two weeks - a month later than had originally been planned. With COVID-19 cases nonetheless on the rise due to the Delta variant, the government pointed to a successful vaccination rollout to instil confidence in relaxing the limits that have been imposed on social contacts at theatres, concerts, and sports events, as well as weddings and funerals.

As BroadwayWorld reported yesterday, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and artists within the theatre and music industries in the UK announced that they would take legal action against the UK Government to release the results of their COVID-19 Events Research Programme, which was established to study the risk of transmission of COVID-19 at large events. Today, the UK Government has officially released the findings.

Britain’s biggest theatre-circus spectacular, Cirque Berserk!, will bring its record-breaking show back to London’s West End, at The Garrick Theatre from 25 August – 11 September 2021. 

Matilda The Musical is now booking through to 13 February 2022. Learn more about the cast, the production, and how to book tickets here!

Opening in the company's new smaller studio space, The Mixing Room, is the world première of Brian & Roger – A Highly Offensive Play inspired by their hit podcast Brian & Roger, written and performed by Harry Peacock and Dan Skinner. Artistic Director of the Menier David Babani directs the production opening in October.

West End productions, including Six, Les Miserables, Hairspray and more have shared updates on what today's news means for audiences for the next month:

Earlier today, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that it will be a bit longer than expected before West End theatres are able to fully re-open. While lockdown rules were previously set to lift on June 21, the next phase will now be delayed by four weeks to July 19, due to the surge of Delta variant cases in the UK.

Producer Sonia Friedman has penned an article for The Telegraph about her fears for the future of the West End. Friedman went on to say that the UK Government must step in and help out in order to save the industry

A planning application to Westminster City Council has outlined work being done to the venue, including removing the stalls seating and building up the orchestra pit to provide an “elliptical stage”, re-raking seats in the dress circle, and expanding the bar.

Jenny (Lily Allen) believes her new home is haunted, but her husband Sam (Hadley Fraser) isn't having any of it. They argue with their first dinner guests, old friend Lauren (Julia Chan) and new partner Ben (Jake Wood). Can the dead really walk again? Belief and scepticism clash, but something feels strange and frightening, and that something is getting closer, so they're going to stay up… until 2:22… and then they'll know.

Andrew Lloyd Webber is continuing his passionate crusade to reopen theatres at full capacity by the end of the month, even if it means defying measures set forth by the UK government.

Following a record-breaking week of THE SHOW MUST GO ON! LIVE AT THE PALACE THEATRE, the creators, Theatre Support Fund+ announced at the show last night they have reached an incredible milestone of raising £1million pounds for theatre charities.

Andrew Lloyd Webber has threatened to sue the UK government if they do not allow theatres to operate at full capacity from June 21. Indoor entertainment venues were able to reopen on May 17 at half capacity, but many theatres have remained shut due to the financial struggles of playing to less than a full audience.

And they're off! London theatres have been open for several weeks now, and the reviews once again are coming hard and fast as a glance at this very site will confirm. Quick off the mark have been the smaller-sized shows: solo plays like Cruise or Harm or a three-person West End entry like Amy Berryman's Walden (though that title was beset by pre-opening dramas of its own, more of which below). But as the big musicals prepare their own re-emergence on to a scene marked out already by the producer Sonia Friedman's RE:EMERGE season (of which Walden is the first of three to open), excitement is in the air. The question now remains as to who, precisely, the audience is likely to be for these shows, given the difficulty for many in travelling to the UK.

Tina - The Tina Turner Musical will re-open at the Aldwych Theatre on 28 July 2021 following over a year of shutdown - get the new show schedule here including new Sunday performances!

To celebrate the return to live theatre, the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) has launched an outdoor advertising campaign, #BackOnStage.