London theatres 'devastated' to close again under tier 3 restrictions

Les Miserables: The Staged Concert opened on 5 December in the West End

London theatres have been given the "devastating news" that they must shut again as the city moves into England's highest tier of Covid-19 restrictions.

A number of West End shows had restarted over the last two weeks.

The Society of London Theatre said the move would cause "catastrophic financial difficulties" for venues, producers and thousands of workers.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said he knew it would have a "huge impact" but that the government "must act quickly".

The measures mean Tuesday night will see the last live performances in London for an indefinite period.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Pantoland at the London Palladium on Friday

Socially distanced performances to smaller audiences had been allowed in London since the last national lockdown ended.

Shows that had opened included Six the Musical, Love Letters, Everybody's Talking About Jamie and a concert version of Les Miserables starring Michael Ball and Alfie Boe.

"It was nice while it lasted," tweeted Carrie Hope Fletcher, who was also part of the Les Miserables cast at the Sondheim Theatre.

'Constant changes of rules'

Producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh, whose shows include Les Miserables, said the government's "sudden volt[e] face" was "devastating for both the theatre and the economy".

"The constant changes of rules and advice we have received is impossible for any business to react to," he continued. "Where is the leadership this government promised?"

He now had "no idea when theatres are to be allowed to reopen", he added.

Alfie Boe plays Jean Valjean in the Cameron Mackintosh production

Andrew Lloyd Webber, who owns the London Palladium, said it seemed "arbitrary and unfair" that theatre performances were being banned while shopping could continue. But he said he "reluctantly" agrees with the decision to put London into tier three.

Pantoland at the Palladium, starring Julian Clary, Elaine Paige, Ashley Banjo and Nigel Havers, was among the other shows to have opened. On Friday, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took their three children to a special performance of the production.

Producer Michael Harrison announced on Twitter that its "final" two performances would take place on Tuesday and criticised the government's "yo-young approach on advice".

He said: "It is not possible for any business to function in an environment where our leaders seem to have no idea how our country will look from one week to the next."

The National Theatre will also have to close Dick Whittington, only the second pantomime it has ever staged.

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Actress Elaine Paige said she was disappointed that the theatre has to close, asking in a tweet why it was theatres were closing when Tube journeys and flights were still allowed.

"These rules are illogical," she said. "The audience response shows how desperate they are for 2hrs of escapism. If its so terrible - cancel Christmas!"

The Society of London Theatre's chief executive Julian Bird said the announcement was "devastating news for the city's world-leading theatre industry".

"The past few days have seen venues beginning to reopen with high levels of Covid security, welcoming back enthusiastic, socially distanced audiences," he said.

"Theatres across London will now be forced to postpone or cancel planned performances, causing catastrophic financial difficulties for venues, producers and thousands of industry workers."

Death Drop at the Garrick Theatre is another show affected

He urged the government to "recognise the huge strain this has placed on the sector and look at rapid compensation to protect theatres and their staff over Christmas in all areas of the country" that are in tier three.

Mr Dowden said the rules had been tightened because the capital's rising coronavirus figures were "deeply concerning".

The remaining £400m from the government's Culture Recovery Fund would "be there to help those affected by [the] changes", he promised.

Jon Morgan, director of the Theatres Trust, called London's move into tier three "a disaster" for the sector.

"Theatres have worked incredibly hard to create safe environments for audiences and through no fault of their own will now face enormous financial losses," he said.

He called for a government-backed insurance scheme for theatres, a request that was echoed by Sonia Friedman, producer of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and other shows.

'A final straw'

She said: "London going into tier three is yet another blow for British theatre - one it simply cannot afford after a brutal year, and one that both could and should have been avoided.

"This feels like a final straw," she said of the latest measures, calling them "proof that this government does not understand theatre and the existential crisis it is facing".

The producers of Six the Musical said it was "frustrating that our industry has been sidelined once again and an already hard hit sector will have to try and survive with no income for a further period of uncertainty".

Andy Barnes and Kenny Wax said they and their fellow producers were "being penalised for reopening the sector and rejuvenating the West End".

The move into tier three will also see cinemas and other entertainment venues forced to close their doors.

The measures will have an impact on the UK release of Wonder Woman 1984, which is due to hit cinemas on Wednesday.

A government spokesperson pointed to its £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund and said it remains "completely committed" to supporting the arts industry during the pandemic.

They added: "We held back £400m of contingency funding so we could respond to the changing public health context and will now use it to support organisations facing financial distress as a result of closure, as well as helping them transition back to fuller opening in the spring."