Theatres in London have been given official permission to open when the national lockdown ends on 2 December.
The capital city will be placed in category ‘tier two’ which will enable indoor and outdoor events with enhanced social distancing and risk mitigation rules to proceed. Whilst London was in tier two prior to the most recent lockdown, the enhanced restrictions going forward will require venues to restrict their capacity to either 50 percent of normal attendee levels or 1000 spectators, whichever is lower.
The tiers will be reintroduced from 2 December, and then re-evaluated from 16 December (with changes announced on 17 December) every fortnight.
Whilst it’s good news for many shows in London, the first major casualty has been Birmingham Rep and Birmingham Royal Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker at the Royal Albert Hall. Producers of the show confirmed that due to restricted capacity the show would not be economically viable.
West End productions due to open in December include A Christmas Carol starring Brian Conley, Nutcracker Delights, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Six The Musical, The Comeback, Death Drop, Potted Panto, The Great Gatsby Immersive Experience, West End Musical Christmas, The Play That Goes Wrong, Mischief Movie Night, Faulty Towers – The Dining Experience, Les Miserables -The Staged Concert and Adam Kay: Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas.
