Chancellor Rishi Sunak has extended the furlough scheme following the announcement of a second lockdown in England.
The scheme is extended until March 2021, with employees receiving up to 80% of wages.
Theatre producer Nica Burns, praised Sunak’s decision to extend the furlough scheme as a “major step forward.”
Shows including This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay and Rent at the Hope Mill Theatre have had to close early or reschedule performances due to the change in lockdown rules. A number of Nimax shows have also had to postpone performances, including Six and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.
Burns also commented on how extending the furlough scheme is “incredibly helpful for business planning and for people’s mental health.”
However, for Burns what is also important is communication between the government and theatres. She told The Guardian that “if I could have a dream scenario right now, we would be able to reopen in December and they’d let us know in two weeks’ time.”
Some venues have been able to reopen with social distancing in place, such as the Pleasance Theatre in London. For most theatres however, socially distanced performance unviable, with Jon Morgan – director of the Theatres Trust – commenting on how “reopening will be doubly challenging.”
Words by Neve Gordon-Farleigh.
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