In a time of uncertainty, the theatre industry is beginning to gain some clarity. While most people were sat waiting for Strictly Come Dancing to start, the Prime Minister announced a second lockdown in England. With a three hour wait from Boris Johnson, when he did arrive, he certainly didn’t waltz around the new restrictions.
Upon this news, it was revealed that “museums, galleries, cinemas, theatres, [and] concert halls” would have to close. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden later confirmed on Twitter that “arts venues are places of work, so people can come into them for work, if it cannot be undertaken from home. This includes rehearsals and performance.” Whilst performers may be allowed into arts venues for work, Dowden confirmed that “audiences are not permitted.”
Although live performances aren’t allowed to go ahead just yet, livestreamed concerts and performances can. With rehearsals also being given the green light, the theatre industry is starting to regain hope.
Kenneth Haigh once said “you need three things in the theatre – the play, the actors and the audience, and each must give something.” Both national lockdowns have hit the theatre industry as a whole, but it’s not until you delve deeper to realise just how many people have been affected. If Haigh is right, all three components of theatre have been affected by the lockdown. Undoubtedly however it has also made us realise just how much we need and crave the industry. Nothing brings more escapism than the arts industry and by heck have we relied on it this year.
We cannot forget the distasteful government campaign depicting a photograph of a ballerina with the tagline “Fatima’s next job could be in cyber. (she just doesn’t know it yet)” with the overall message being “Rethink. Reskill. Reboot.” With all the government’s messages, what’s more important is the livelihood of those working in the industry. Actor Misha Duncan-Barry recently told The Guardian that “for a lot of us, this is what we’ve wanted to do since we were children.”
The extended furlough scheme from Rishi Sunak has been praised by theatre producer Nica Burns as “incredibly helpful for business planning and for people’s mental health”. Even though a lockdown may feel like another blow for the industry, with livestreamed performances still able to go ahead and the furlough scheme extended to 2021, things are still going forward.
A number of live streamed performances have been announced from Rent to online concerts with performers featuring Carrie Hope Fletcher and Rob Houchen (both starring in Out Of The Darkness Into The Spotlight with The Theatre Cafe). However, livestreamed performances aren’t viable for everyone. For our local theatres on much smaller budgets than West End shows, producing online content just isn’t possible. Unfortunately for a lot of these theatres, when they can reopen, socially distanced performances will also not be workable. With the addition of this prolonged lockdown, smaller venues will beyond doubt be hit hardest.
Even though entertainment venues have closed, TV shows are showing how possible it is to have a limited live studio audience and put on a show with the restrictions in place. Strictly Come Dancing have put on three successful live shows so far, with contestants in bubbles and regular COVID-19 tests being carried out. Before the second lockdown they also trialled a limited studio audience with members of the NHS sitting in to watch the show. It’s programmes like Strictly Come Dancing that can give hope to the theatre industry.
Upon all of this, we can expect to see a variety of shows live streamed over the next couple of weeks and the arrival of shows opening their doors as soon as the lockdown restrictions are lifted. After an emotional performance on Britain’s Got Talent it was announced that the concert version of Les Misérables (featuring Carrie Hope Fletcher and Michael Ball) would go ahead at the end of the year. Rent, which recently opened at the Hope Mill Theatre ,had to cancel performances early and have a number of tickets available for livestreamed performances.
If rehearsals are successful, A Christmas Carol is looking at opening on the 7th December, starring Lucie Jones and Jacqueline Jossa. Shows belonging to Nimax have also been rescheduled and will reopen as soon as allowed.
The arts industry is more than what you see as an audience member; it’s the livelihood of individuals who have been robbed of doing what they love the most. And I for one cannot wait for the West End to return, because the show must and it will go on.
Words by Neve Gordon-Farleigh.
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