During a press briefing on 17 July, Boris Johnson announced that 'We will restart indoor performances to a live audience, subject to the success of pilots, and we will also pilot larger gatherings in venues like sports stadia with a view to a wider reopening in the autumn.' He also suggested that it may be possible, by November at the earliest, to move away from social distancing rules such as the one-metre rule, if we are able to between now and then 'to keep the virus under control'.
At the moment the guidance in place is for theatres and other performance venues and organisations in England, with the devolved governments making their own rules for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport will put together the guidance by running pilots with selected performance venues.
Measures to be put in place will include:
- Online sale of tickets and venues encouraged to use e-tickets to reduce contact and help with track and trace
- Reduced venue capacity and limited ticket sales to ensure social distancing can be maintained
- Increased deep cleaning of auditoriums
- Performances scheduled to allow sufficient time for deep cleaning
- Social distancing of performers, conductors and musicians
The news follows the announcement of a £1.57 billion rescue package in the form of emergency grants for which arts organisations can apply. While theatre-going may be unlike anything we have experienced before, it will be a relief to many to know that live performances can begin again.