Government publishes ‘roadmap’ for return of theatres after coronavirus

Culture secretary outlines five-step plan for bringing back ‘soul of our nation’ – but theatres bosses say firm dates still needed

Newcastle Theatre Royal, which has announced plans to make half of its staff redundant (PA)

The government has published a five-phase “road map” for the return of theatres, concert halls and other performing arts venues in the months ahead.

Culture secretary Oliver Dowden said he “desperately” wants to see the resumption of live shows, but insisted they would have to come back in a series of careful steps to prevent the risk of crowds spreading the coronavirus.

Leading arts figures welcomed the guidelines for a phased return – but also criticised the government for failing to provide any dates for the process or any extra funding to help badly-hit venues.

“I think if we had some timelines that would be brilliant, because we can then start to plan our businesses around those rough dates,” Kate Varah, executive director of the Old Vic theatre in London.

The first two stages of the plan are already in place. Stage one allows rehearsals to resume with no audience present, and stage two allows social-distanced performances to be recorded then broadcast online.

Stage three will see only outdoor performances with socially-distanced spectators, while the fourth stage of the plan allows for performances to take place inside with a limited, socially-distanced audience.

The fifth and final stage will see performances permitted both indoors and outdoors, with more people allowed in the audience.

Mr Dowden claimed the roadmap provides a “clear pathway back”, adding: “I desperately want to raise the curtain on live performances in theatres and music venues as soon as we can – they are the soul of our nation and a lynchpin of our world beating creative industries.”

Culture secretary Oliver Dowden outside No 10 (PA)

However, Julian Bird, chief executive of UK Theatre and Society of London Theatre, said the government still needed to provide crucial details on dates.

He said: “While the five-stage roadmap towards the reopening of performing arts venues and productions is welcomed, it is essential that government gives indicative ‘no earlier’ than dates for stages three to five so that the sector can plan for the future.

“Otherwise with no information at all, theatres and producers will have to assume a worst case scenario and plan to be shut for a long period.”

Mr Bird added: “With the rest of the economy now reopening quickly, we firmly believe that with the right safety processes in place, we can get back to full audiences in theatres within months – we now need government to confirm this.”

The performing arts have been particularly badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier this week the Theatre Royal in Newcastle announced plans to make half of its staff redundant, while the Theatre Royal Plymouth said it has started redundancy consultations.

Playwright James Graham welcomed Mr Dowden’s announcement, but added: “What is still missing of course is any investment package to be able to actually do it and, without that, we can be in no doubt that the entire theatre ecology is on the verge of absolute and total collapse.”

Guidelines for the reopening of cinemas on 4 July have been met with a lukewarm response from concerned film fans. The amount of people permitted inside any one cinema will be “managed” by staff, but no capacity has been set.