The Royal Shakespeare Company have announced that they will close two of their Stratford Upon-Avon theatres until 2022, putting 150 jobs on the line.
The Swan and The Other Place will close, causing a 17% reduction to the workforce.
Focusing on opening the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Catherine Mallyon (RSC executive director) commented “these are incredibly difficult times for everyone, and for the theatre community they are especially tough. Our live performance sector is experiencing one of the highest levels of loss of work anywhere: the personal impact of this is often devastating; the loss of skilled talented people.
“We are today taking tough decisions to cut costs and make sure we can reopen with confidence.”
However the RSC are preparing a number of socially distanced performances at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre at the end of the year, to be live streamed. Including plans to increase outdoor performances, following performances of sonnets and speeches at the Dell Gardens.
With a majority of West End shows still closed, the RSC also plans to reopen Matilda the Musical at a reduced capacity.
Words by Neve Gordon-Farleigh.
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