Theatres Trust director Jon Morgan has responded to the four week delay to Step 4 of the government’s roadmap to easing lockdown:
Today’s news of a four week delay to Step 4 of the reopening roadmap is wholly understandable given the rise in infection numbers and the Delta variant. However, it will be difficult for theatres who were depending on being able to reopen at full capacity and will already have committed considerable resources in preparation without the safety net of a theatre sector insurance scheme.
Although many theatres have temporarily reopened with reduced audiences, continuing to operate at significantly reduced capacity is economically unsustainable. Other venues that were planning to reopen when full audiences were permitted may be forced to cancel shows. It is vital that the additional £408m allocated to the Culture Recovery Fund in the Budget is distributed quickly and targeted to those organisations most impacted by this setback.