5 January 2021 • 5:31pm
2020 was terrible, but the worst may be yet to come: the West End s closed Lyric Theatre
Credit: Henry Nicholls/Reuters
So the theatre industry is gritting its teeth once again. As we plunge once more into national lockdown, an anonymous theatre producer confided to me: “It feels like we’ve gone back from recovery mode to survival mode”.
Certainly the implications of the virus variant(s) and questions about vaccine roll-out are enough to daunt even the most battle-hardened in the industry which has been more or less shut down since London was plunged into tier 3 in mid-December. I asked several leading players about a timeline in terms of reopening, first with social distancing then the holy grail of reverting to the norm of this time last year. “We are as in the dark as everybody now,” confesses Julian Bird, chief executive of SOLT (the Society of London Theatre) and UK Theatre (the key body for regional playhouses).
Passion) with Tom Bales, Ryan Pidgen, Vicki Lee Taylor, and Kayleigh Thadani.
Penned by composer and orchestrator Richard Hough and writer Ben Morales Frost, the new musical explores the world of a sorcerer and his rebellious daughter, as she discovers the possibilities of her newfound magical powers.
Producer James Seabright commented, âThe latest national lockdown leaves us with a show ready to perform which we are unable to share with live audiences. I have been inspired by the determination and resolve of our cast, creative team to make this possible whilst maintaining the highest safety standards for everyone on and off stage.â
The West End panto forced to move to Easter – if it can survive
Potted Panto – seven pantomimes in one – had their run cut short when London moved to Tier 3. Will they be laughing in April?
It s behind you! Potted Panto finished early in the West End
Credit: Geraint Lewis
Is Easter the new Christmas? Producer James Seabright certainly hopes so. His Potted Panto, a best-bits of compendium of seven different pantomimes, opened and then closed prematurely in the West End when London was put into Tier 3. So, he’s planning another run at Easter, beginning April 1.
“It makes sense with our schedule, because we do daytime performances to coincide with the school holidays,” he explains. “I know it’s unusual to have an Easter panto, but why not? It’s designed for people having a family celebration and getting together, which we’ll probably all want around then.”