Yahoo Finance London theatres bosses say trying to reopen after Covid lockdown ‘gave us whiplash’
West End supremo Sonia Friedman, whose productions include the huge hit Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, has previously called for a “government-backed insurance scheme”
(Matt Writtle)Theatre bosses today said it felt like the industry was suffering from “whiplash” after moves to reopen abruptly ended with tougher restrictions and then the new lockdown which has again devastated the West End.
Eleanor Lloyd, president of the Society of London Theatre, said productions were “acutely aware of what happened before Christmas” when they reopened only to close again as London went into Tier 3 but said talks with the Government were progressing on reopening as lockdown restrictions are relaxed.
She said: “The Government recognises how important theatre and the live arts are and the Treasury has recognised that we have a role to play at the heart of London.”
A report last year by the Creative Industries Federation said theatres faced losses of £3 billion and 12,000 jobs after being closed for much of the year. The latest lockdown has put even more pressure on them.
West End supremo Sonia Friedman, whose productions include the huge hit Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, has previously called for a “government-backed insurance scheme”.
She said the industry needed “meaningful compensation to mitigate impending losses incurred by productions forced to close, and for targeted support for freelance workers unable to take advantage of the furlough scheme”.
Ms Lloyd, co-producer on hit show Witness for the Prosecution which has announced plans to reopen in May, admits they “honestly don’t know” if it will make it to the stage. She said the quick closures of theatres after reopening had left them feeling they had “whiplash”.
Performances will resume on May 18 and one advantage the production team have is their venue — the assembly hall of the old London County Hall on the South Bank has plenty of space. “I think that’s going to be great in terms of managing the audience —this is not a space that has a crush at the bar.” Tickets are on sale at witnesscountyhall.com
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