Getting recreation and leisure up and running again.

I think smaller theatres will be back before larger theatres. Fringe theatres with seating for less than 200 people could, with some effort, work out a way of doing temperatures tests on anyone entering premises and insisting on face masks. Take names and contact details for everyone in every seat, and ensure patrons are happy for the information to be shared with the NHS should track and trace need to be completed.

But none of that takes into account safety for the performers - are they supposed to perform with masks? Behind giant screens? Regular testing and isolation whilst in a cast? Presumably footballers aren't social distancing during games, people working in shops aren't social distancing from other staff or customers, etc... do the same rules then apply to those on stage? The soaps have all implemented social distancing in their new episodes and major movies have announced they are going to resume shooting (in the UK) towards the end of the year - so without sounding heartless, are we worrying too much about the health of the performers?

In terms of the larger musicals, it devastates me that most of them will most like end up having a full 12 months off (or something very close to it). I thinking about ways the industry could fundraise for itself once everything was allowed back, and I think a series of concert style performances at either the Royal Albert Hall or The o2 could end up being something special: concert musicals have become quite a thing over the last few years and what better way to 'return' than a big celebratory performance? Phantom, Les Mis, Wicked, Hamilton, Joseph, Mamma Mia etc... some of them have been around for decades so could even possibly sell the broadcast rights to ITV.

I don't know... I just can't help but think of all those thousands of people in desperate need of work right now. The arts is hard enough to find steady work in anyway, let alone the entire industry shut down for a year. The repercussions on people in the industry are huge and whilst I know fundraising after the fact doesn't necessarily help people now, just because people are allowed to work again doesn't mean they will - I mean, how many people in the industry will be forced out of London because of this?


The Government needs to do more and social distance performances just won't cut it - nor will streaming live performances (which you just know the government is going to push as ideas are needed to remove culpability). In fairness, I wonder how much money is made through NT Live when they do cinema screenings? With cinemas re-opening it is possibly a way of doing something.... though I doubt the sums add up - but maybe they might as a fundraiser?

Theatre made the 10 o clock news on IT tonight after the CM announcement. It raised the issues Oliver Dowden mentioned in todays briefing about the discussions with artists and theatre he has had and is having. Lets hope with this renewed focus some plan will emerge.
I doubt if big shows will be back this year, I never thought they would really due to so many factors. It must be so worrying for all employed by the business called show that can be fickle at the best of times. Our thoughts are with you all and lets hope the industry can come out the other side ok.

Most of the staff at Newcastle Theatre Royal have been let go, very serious fears that the panto won't go ahead:

www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/theatre-royal-newcastle-jobs-panto-18405534

It depends very much where in Germany as each state has their own rules. Here in NRW shows are on sale from late August onwards without any social distancing. The only requirement is that the producer/venue knows exactly who has sat where, so that people can be traced in case there's an outbreak. 

My opera in Belgium has also sold season tickets normally with all tickets available from September onwards. 

Now that 200-300 people are cramming into airplanes for 2-3 hours to get to the Mediterranean beaches again, there really is no excuse why this is allowed and theatres should have to observe ludicrous distancing that makes performances unviable. 

A test of what protocols? Allowing 10% of an normal audience into a venue? Who is that gonna help?

It helps to kill off the 'no one will buy a ticket' to a live event argument - the market and appetite is there.  This concert will get millions of viewers tonight - it's pretty powerful stuff showing venues with an audience again. 

To put it another way, up until a few days ago, this concert was going ahead with zero audience at all.  Paris is (finally) on a route back.

ETA And just because it is France, the audience have been asked to wear a tasteful and discreet dark mask. Those Parisiens, eh!

Abby: One step at a time, innit? We're not going to go from nothing to normal in one bound - things will inevitably go in phases.

This is what I have to keep saying to people. It’s not the kind of thing where we can say lockdown until the eleventyth of Movember then everything back to normal. It needs to be one step at a time. (Not sure why my quote won’t work properly)

I guess a lot depends on whether you are a glass half full or glass half empty person - to me it's not the number of people spread in a big area but the fact that there's an audience. It's a start and that's cause for celebration, the next thing there might have 4000 people if this goes well - theatres will have to start small and work the numbers upwards, anything that can help show that people will buy tickets and turn up is a cause for celebration in my world

www.canyouhearthepeoplesing.co.uk/

I have signed up for more info on this. Hoping I can join.

I think that's a terrible idea. People already know what it's like. Anyone who's ever had a power cut knows what it's like. It seems to be exceptionally muddled thinking to imagine that the only way to get people to appreciate something is to deprive them of it as if they're too stupid to understand that it doesn't appear out of thin air.

The reason people aren't pouring money into the arts right now is because people aren't pouring money into anything right now apart from medical science and furlough schemes. With limited resources available, minority arts are a thing the world can manage without for a while.