Arena Theatre, University of Wolverhampton, to Re-open on Thursday 20th May

The Arena Theatre, University of Wolverhampton, is delighted to announce that it will re-open for live in-person performances on Thursday 20th May with the socially distanced performance of its in-house production The Librarian by Tom Allsopp.

The doors of the Arena Theatre closed on Monday 16th March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as a result of a successful bid to Arts Council and Department for Culture, Media and Sport Culture Recovery Fund, the Wolverhampton venue installed state of the art livestreaming equipment to still provide a theatrical offer to its audiences, alongside providing support and a platform for the work of local artists.

Through its digital offering, the Arena Theatre has successfully livestreamed 31 events between October 2020 and March 2021, reaching over 1,514 audience members whilst working with 66 artists, 31 of whom were specifically commissioned to produce work.

As part of its initial re-opening plans, the theatre will be offering a livestream option for its socially distanced shows to ensure those unable to purchase a venue ticket do not miss out.

Neil Reading, Artistic Director of the Arena Theatre, said: "After a long, gruelling year for the Performing Arts we are delighted to be able to open the Arena Theatre to a limited audience. As the first major step on the road to full reopening, we are beyond excited to be given audience an opportunity to engage with live performance again. It won't quite be back to normal just yet, but we look forward to the support from our audiences in helping us to begin the return we have all been so desperately waiting for."