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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2020 18:05:53 GMT
Thanks for your post samuelwhiskers, most heartfelt. Great to hear there is stuff going on behind the scenes. I guess then, the issue from the fan's perspective (not involved in the industry) is that the passion for re-opening you describe is really not coming across via the usual channels. From the TV, newspapers, interviews, social media etc etc, the public are drowned in how desperate football is to get going, how desperate planes are to start flying, how desperate shops are to open, how desperate hairdressers are to cut hair. As the non involved public we are not getting that from the theatre industry. Endless interviews and articles are just laded with doom and gloom. Cam Mac telling us that he won't do anything until 2021 or until there is no social distancing - it doesn't help. So many articles about how money is needed (we know, we agree) - just add a paragraph at the end about how you may start up again! Those that are doing the wonderful things you describe, should tell us more about them! It is great to hear. But in stark contrast to other sectors - that fire isn't visible to the GBP.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2020 18:08:58 GMT
Sorry, couldn't get the quote function to work!
Indeed opening up is still not allowed - but it will be reviewed on 4th July.
No one expects them to be able to open on the 5th.
But the feel you get is that the review date is 2021, not 3 weeks time!
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Post by londonpostie on Jun 12, 2020 19:05:42 GMT
ah, thank you both for that. I have long since lost the will to follow Gov developments.
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Post by Dawnstar on Jun 12, 2020 19:50:50 GMT
It’d be illegal even to put people from separate households into a rehearsal space together. I'm not sure this is entirely the case. The ROH has had several social media posts, and an article in the Times, about the preparation of a new pas de deux for the performance they're livestreaming tomorrow evening. While the 2 dancers, Francesca Hayward & Cesar Corrales, are a couple the choreographer, Wayne McGregor, is from another household & it appears that him rehearsing them is allowed, as long as he stays distanced from them in the room.
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Post by kathryn on Jun 12, 2020 20:32:05 GMT
Huh. There really is no consistency in the rules, is there?!
I can’t even invite my parents in for a cup of tea, but it’s ok for a choreographer to be in a room with a couple of dancers working at peak exertion for hours.
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Post by poster J on Jun 12, 2020 21:10:23 GMT
It’d be illegal even to put people from separate households into a rehearsal space together. Tell that to the Old Vic, Claire Foy and Matt Smith! Using rehearsal space has never been illegal as it is work that arguably cannot be done from home.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2020 21:10:55 GMT
Huh. There really is no consistency in the rules, is there?! I can’t even invite my parents in for a cup of tea, but it’s ok for a choreographer to be in a room with a couple of dancers working at peak exertion for hours. I don't know the age and health of your parents, but they are probably higher risk than incredibly fit young dancers. There is literally nothing stopping you inviting your parents round - police are open about the fact that they are not enforcing social distancing rules. It's up to us all to make sensible decisions based on a realistic assessment of the risks. I personally would not be worried about having tea with my healthy active 75 year old mum at this point.
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Post by kathryn on Jun 12, 2020 21:36:30 GMT
Ok, so they can rehearse, but they still can’t open the theatre.
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Post by kathryn on Jun 12, 2020 21:38:52 GMT
It’d be illegal even to put people from separate households into a rehearsal space together. Tell that to the Old Vic, Claire Foy and Matt Smith! Using rehearsal space has never been illegal as it is work that arguably cannot be done from home. I’d assumed - since it’s a live-streamed production - that they’d been rehearsing that using video link. After all it needs to come across on camera, not to an audience in the same room, and need to socially distance the performance anyway.
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Post by talkingheads on Jun 12, 2020 21:47:24 GMT
Huh. There really is no consistency in the rules, is there?! I can’t even invite my parents in for a cup of tea, but it’s ok for a choreographer to be in a room with a couple of dancers working at peak exertion for hours. And you can also see your parents as long as you sit next to them on Stealth at Thorpe Park
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Post by poster J on Jun 12, 2020 22:03:09 GMT
Tell that to the Old Vic, Claire Foy and Matt Smith! Using rehearsal space has never been illegal as it is work that arguably cannot be done from home. I’d assumed - since it’s a live-streamed production - that they’d been rehearsing that using video link. After all it needs to come across on camera, not to an audience in the same room, and need to socially distance the performance anyway. They'll have to rehearse in the theatre so they can ensure the camera is set up properly, and I thought the whole point was to have the camera positioned as if you were sitting in the theatre? I know they've done the play before but they'll still need to re-familarise themselves with the space.
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Post by samuelwhiskers on Jun 12, 2020 22:03:35 GMT
Thanks for the kind and thoughtful comments. Travelling for work that cannot be done from home has been allowed from the start of lockdown, so ROH are probably using that as a loophole. I'd guess most theatres don't want to risk endangering actors and crew while it's still illegal to open for audiences. Theatre leaders are painfully aware that there's PR mountain to climb to convince the general public that theatre is a worthy investment, and not some boring elitist thing their posh aunt Ethel once dragged them to. Hence the decision to portray theatre as being in dire peril, and the hammering of the "£5 for every £1 investment not bailout" point. Plus everyone's terrified their production will be the one to infect people. All it takes is one infected person lowering their mask to sneeze because sneeze droplets can travel much further than 2m. It's not just the human cost, but we have to be pragmatic and think about PR too. We've all seen the headlines about Devon beaches, we don't want headlines about how selfish theatre bosses are endangering the public by selfishly re-opening too soon, and god can you imagine if we re-opened and someone did get infected? There are other issues at play here too. If the Treasury rejects the financial proposal or doesn't extend furlough then theatre as an industry might recover, but an awful lot of smaller and more niche companies will die, there'll be less willingness to take risks or take a chance on unknown writers and directors, and an awful lot of talented artists from less financially privileged backgrounds will be forced out. It might be fine in the immediate future, but what about in ten years when an entire generation of emerging talent has been throttled? I don't want a theatre landscape where your only choices are Macbeth, the Mousetrap, or Mamma Mia and you have to travel to London because the regional theatres had to close. When you see industry leaders on TV making dire warnings that theatre will die without help, they don't literally think the UK will never stage another theatre production. But that the theatre industry as we know it will die, and be replaced with one that's aggressively commercial and homogeneous. samuelwhiskers admirable job and a little of what I was hoping for in response. But do riddle me this; the Jermyn St Beckett triple bill with three players and five staff, inc. lighting personage and box office. Why can't that type of production go ahead now with social distancing? Thank you. The Old Vic's socially distanced Lungs is probably a step towards this. Other theatres are watching with interest to see if the OV manage to pull off rehearsing and staging a performance using social distancing. If they do, I predict more socially distanced performances. But that needs to be tested first. Getting audiences in will be the last step.
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Post by Rory on Jun 13, 2020 11:16:59 GMT
Thank you samuelwhiskers for these insights. The theatre situation has been a terrible sadness. Not getting to see anything and reading the gloomy articles and the apparent lack of Government will to sort it out, despite the task forces, has been awfully depressing. Your posts have given hope and it's always one of the things I like most from this forum, to get the insider view of what's actually happening. Never more important than at this time.
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Post by kathryn on Jun 13, 2020 11:35:33 GMT
Yes, really appreciate the insight and everyone’s hard work.
I think we’re all just chomping at the bit to get back to the theatre. The streamed stuff is great, but it really makes me miss actually being there!
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Post by duncan on Jun 14, 2020 6:59:22 GMT
C4 haven't been able to find anyone who will insure this years filming of Bake Off because of Prue Leith, she is classed as vulnerable and within the at risk categories so nobody wants to take the chance.
This will likely impact on theatre going forward, we're not going to be seeing over 70s in any productions anytime soon.
4 by the way are apparently quarantining the entire crew for 6 weeks to actually make the series and keep Prue as a judge.
A spokesman for the show said: 'Filming will take place in line with production guidelines and the entire team, cast and crew have agreed to go into quarantine in order to make the show safely.'
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jun 14, 2020 9:41:48 GMT
C4 haven't been able to find anyone who will insure this years filming of Bake Off because of Prue Leith, she is classed as vulnerable and within the at risk categories so nobody wants to take the chance. This will likely impact on theatre going forward, we're not going to be seeing over 70s in any productions anytime soon. 4 by the way are apparently quarantining the entire crew for 6 weeks to actually make the series and keep Prue as a judge. A spokesman for the show said: 'Filming will take place in line with production guidelines and the entire team, cast and crew have agreed to go into quarantine in order to make the show safely.' Good grief. Is Pru Leith really that intrinsic to the show? Pay the woman but get a stand in to do this series and Pru can cone back next year if it’s safe. tV companies are going to have to be a lot more realistic than this if we’re going to get some decent telly.
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Xanderl
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Not always very high value in terms of ticket yield or donations
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Post by Xanderl on Jun 14, 2020 10:06:40 GMT
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Post by Jon on Jun 14, 2020 12:20:51 GMT
I’d be very surprised if Bake Off airs this year given it usually takes 10 weekends to film.
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Post by lynette on Jun 14, 2020 18:31:15 GMT
I’d be very surprised if Bake Off airs this year given it usually takes 10 weekends to film. Thankful for small mercies.
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Post by fiyero on Jun 14, 2020 18:57:21 GMT
I’d be very surprised if Bake Off airs this year given it usually takes 10 weekends to film. The kids one is an episode a day for a week for each set of heats and again for the finals (or similar). They could condense it if all the contestants put their lives on hold apprentice style.
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Post by lynette on Jun 14, 2020 20:16:31 GMT
More concerned about Strictly. Hilarious opportunities me thinks
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Post by duncan on Jun 14, 2020 20:36:28 GMT
They are filming Bake Off in a six week window with everyone involved in a strict quarantine bubble.
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Post by Mark on Jun 14, 2020 21:47:17 GMT
Interesting article from Sonia Friedman. I feel with her at the helm though, its in good hands. She is an astute producer and if anyone can pull out the plans to help save the industry - its her.
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Post by xanady on Jun 15, 2020 9:41:16 GMT
Agree with Mark about Sonia Freedman...also been in touch with one of my former pupils who has been in Dreamgirls,Poppins etc.He tells me that some performers that he knows have now reached breaking point with their finances.Many theatre people are now working in social care,supermarkets etc to pay the bills...my former pupil named five current WE performers that he knew of.
There needs to be a serious support package put in place right now.No more talk or ‘we plan to’...let’s see some action! Not convinced Oliver Dowden is the right man to lead the Culture portfolio. Never been more worried about the performing arts in this country whether it is the WE or regional theatres.
At the moment, the Brum Hippo for example would only be able to operate with between one fifth and one sixth of their capacity audience numbers....not sustainable at all.
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Post by zahidf on Jun 15, 2020 11:24:31 GMT
2 more lungs shows added by the old vic
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Post by Rory on Jun 15, 2020 12:22:58 GMT
Agree with Mark about Sonia Freedman...also been in touch with one of my former pupils who has been in Dreamgirls,Poppins etc.He tells me that some performers that he knows have now reached breaking point with their finances.Many theatre people are now working in social care,supermarkets etc to pay the bills...my former pupil named five current WE performers that he knew of. There needs to be a serious support package put in place right now.No more talk or ‘we plan to’...let’s see some action! Not convinced Oliver Dowden is the right man to lead the Culture portfolio. Never been more worried about the performing arts in this country whether it is the WE or regional theatres. At the moment, the Brum Hippo for example would only be able to operate with between one fifth and one sixth of their capacity audience numbers....not sustainable at all. What is Oliver Dowden actually doing? He seems bloody useless.
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Post by n1david on Jun 15, 2020 12:29:19 GMT
What is Oliver Dowden actually doing? He seems bloody useless. Talking to Google about Winston Churchill.
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Post by Rory on Jun 15, 2020 13:54:54 GMT
What is Oliver Dowden actually doing? He seems bloody useless. Talking to Google about Winston Churchill. Precisely. What an absolutely dismal cabinet this is.
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Post by stagemanager on Jun 15, 2020 23:07:51 GMT
I think I should just point out that Oliver Dowden doesn’t hold the purse strings, it the Chancellor. From a source involved in some of the conversations my understanding is that now that Dowden understands the intricacies of how the theatre industry actually works (after sitting down with Sonia Friedman, amongst others) he has done quite well at making the case to the Chancellor. As he mentioned in the Standard a deal is in the pipeline. However my source implies they are waiting till the review in early July on possibly when theatres may reopen, so that the exact size and period that a support package is in place can be agreed. There is also conversations going on about other industries that will be slow to reopen for example nightclubs and how a package could be all encompassing.
My worry about any scheme is will the money trickle out to all the subcontractors that support theatre industries. It will be all well and good if the buildings and production companies survive, but if there are no scenic workshops, lighting and sound hire or theatrical marketing agencies left, getting a show open is going to be tricky. It also seems to me that one of the trickiest issues to overcome is if the government chose to extend the income support schemes for theatre freelancers, how do they identify who actually works in the theatre industry?
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Post by Mark on Jun 16, 2020 8:03:57 GMT
Everyone speaks about how necessary social distancing is and 20% capacity etc etc. Why is that not required on air-planes which can still go at 100% capacity with everyone wearing a mask>
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