MORE TEARS OVER TIERS
Rising cases set to dash hopes of areas going down a level
HOPES that some regions might be moved out of the highest coronavirus tiers ahead of Christmas look set to be dashed today.
The overwhelming majority of areas are expected to remain in their current level of restrictions when the results of the first review are announced.
Despite hopes that some places such as Leeds and Greater Manchester could be downgraded, figures suggest the overall coronavirus rate is rising across England.
Boris Johnson had raised the hopes of some MPs that their areas would move down a tier on the first review date when he originally set out the plans for the controversial system.
But cases have continued to rise, with London and parts of Essex and Hertfordshire having been moved up a tier.
The news is likely to be met with anger by Tory MPs. Many are concerned by the economic damage of the stringent restrictions, particularly in Tier Three, where hospital
‘The current strategy clearly isn’t working’
ity businesses are forced to close. Meanwhile, barely anywhere in the country is in Tier One – the only level under which household mixing is allowed indoors.
Many MPs and business leaders have also been disappointed by the lack of official assessment of the economic costs of the tier system and have called for a radical rethink of the entire strategy.
The tier review will take place today, and any movements will most likely be confirmed tomorrow.
Figures yesterday show Covid-19 cases are rising in more than three quarters (78 per cent) of all local areas in England in the past week.
A total of 246 out of 315 local authority areas recorded a weekon-week increase in the seven days to December 11, according to Public Health England.
This includes every borough of London, 42 of the 45 local areas in eastern England, and 66 of the 67 local areas in south-east England.
In north-west England, where rates had previously been falling across almost the whole region, the latest figures show they are up in nearly two-thirds of areas.
When he unveiled the current tier system at the end of November, the Prime Minister said: ‘By using these tougher tiers and by using rapid turnaround tests on an ever greater scale... it should be possible for areas to move down the (tier) scale to lower levels of restrictions.’
But Tory MP Steve Baker, leader of the Covid Recovery Group of lockdown sceptics, said: ‘The current strategy to combat Covid clearly isn’t working. If it was, we would today be talking about areas moving down the tiers.
‘We must end the devastating cycle of repeated restrictions and lockdowns, recapture the public’s support and confidence and start living in a sustainable way again.’
It had been hoped that Leeds might be downgraded to Tier Two after Health Secretary Matt Hancock hinted at this on Monday. Hilary Benn, the Labour MP for Leeds Central, said cases had fallen from more than 400 per 100,000 to fewer than 140.
Greater Manchester was also hoping to be moved down a tier. Mayor Andy Burnham said the region had a ‘strong case’ to come out of Tier Three.
But Government sources said that the review would take into account local authority areas and regions, rather than individual cities and towns.
Mr Hancock also wrote to Tory MPs to tell them any greater breakdown of areas was difficult, ruining the hopes of tens of thousands of residents in low-infection towns and villages who had hoped they could ‘de- couple’ from surrounding coronavirus hotspots.
A Government source said: ‘As the PM set out in November, we will review every local authority area and each region against the five indicators we published in our Covid Winter Plan. We will also consider local views to build the most accurate picture of what is happening on the ground.’
PERHAPS knew the very we it’s last had because one golden we of tickets before Covid finally crushes the Christmas spirit.
Or maybe it could just be that panto is so silly, sequined and smutty that I can’t help but grin like an idiot — even from behind a mask and sitting next to two empty seats.
Whatever. The London Palladium’s final day of Pantoland, starring Julian Clary, Nigel Havers, Elaine Paige, Gary Wilmot and Beverley Knight has a very special kind of magic.
It is awash with love, joy, laughter, ridiculous outfits, eye-watering double entendres and innuendoes — thanks largely to Clary, introduced as the ‘meat-and-two-veg’ of panto — and so, so many tears.
All around me in the stalls, members of the audience quietly weep, and not just during Elaine Paige’s variation on Don’t Cry For Me Argentina.
Even the ushers dishing out socially distanced drinks and showing people to the loos, surreptitiously wipe their eyes.
And, of course, the poor crew and cast, who thought they’d be dancing and singing and shouting ‘Oh no you don’t’, ‘ He’s behind you’ and making jokes about wind, and goosing until early January, have been sobbing half the night.
‘ It’s been a very emotional day,’ says company manager Paul Bouchier. ‘It’s a nightmare. And you can’t even give anyone a hug! Everyone’s been in tears.’
But of course they have. Because thanks to the latest government announcement — which pushed London into Tier Three and from this morning closed all theatres — suddenly, it’s all over.
After weeks of rehearsals, Covidsecure preparations and lots of hard work, they’ve been allowed to perform just six shows — and a special preview last Friday attended by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children.
AND Nigel Havers, as I discover at the stage door, is hopping mad. ‘ They’ve shut us down, but they won’t shut the shops down the road here!’ he rages.
‘And the mayor! God almighty! That man should be taken out and whipped. He opened up Regent Street for the last two Saturdays. For 20,000 people to shop. There’s only 1,000 in here and they shut us down. ‘God. God. GOD!’ He’s not finished yet. ‘It would be good to get the scientists up here to have a look at our theatre,’ he says. ‘ But they’re too far up their own backsides — that’s my feeling, anyway.
‘ We had the future King of England — and [Culture Secretary] Oliver Dowden — in here last week! If it wasn’t safe, why would they come?’
Yes, Nigel is very, very cross but he has a point.
Because while no one in theatreland wants to be reckless, or daft, or, God forbid, put anyone at risk, there does seem to be a discrepancy between what is and is not allowed, and the goalposts have been constantly changing over recent weeks. In response to which, London’s theatres really couldn’t have done much more to comply. The Palladium has gone from 2,200 seats to just 1,000 (though surprisingly it doesn’t feel remotely empty), all the staff are masked, the drinks are pre-ordered, the interval is longer to avoid any loo or bar crushes, there are one- way walkways in operation and the punters are happy.
‘I’d far rather be here than in Selfridges,’ says Jennifer, a retiree and amateur dramatics enthusiast. ‘It’s much, much safer.’
‘Hear hear!’ I can almost hear Havers barking.
On top of all that, and despite cutting back on costumes, sets and, for social- distancing reasons, the entire dance troupe, the show has been operating at loss. ‘Thank God for the Lottery funding,’ says Paul Bouchier.
In fact, it only happened at all because creator, writer and director Michael Harrison was so depressed at not doing what he loves that he decided to wing it — and luckily the big stars insisted on doing it for next to nothing. (Many are reportedly on less than a quarter of their usual fee.)
‘Of course we’re not here for the money!’ huffs Havers, a 15-year veteran of panto himself. ‘We’re all on a tiny amount. It’s for the love.
‘That’s fine for us, but think of the younger members of the cast . . .They rely on this money.’
Along with the back-stage crew, the lighting and set teams, the orchestra, the usherettes and even the security guards. ‘There we are then,’ said one burly Scot on the front door sporting an earpiece. ‘I haven’t worked since March and I was hoping for some Christmas money.’
But for one last night, the show goes on. And, although more of a variety show than straight panto — albeit with Gary Wilmot’s dame in an acid yellow crinoline, silly songs, audience participation and Paul Zerdin, the brilliant ventriloquist — it is so, so good.
Even Nigel has somehow cast off his inner fury — ‘I allow myself 24 hours to sulk and then you have to get over it and move on,’ he says — and bounces onto the stage like a man half his age with the springiest of knees, all ready and eager to be ritually humiliated by Clary.
Who, back for the fourth year on the trot at the Palladium, is astonishingly rude but somehow never quite crude as he regales us with his smutty jokes, and is totally and utterly the star of the show.
SO MUCH of the fun of the job has been stripped away by the pandemic that the vim they put in is all the more impressive. Gone are the friends and family members gathered in the wings, gone are stage door autographs, and gone is the ritual of perfectly chilled martinis in Nigel’s dressing room — apparently, he usually lugs his own freezer along to keep the vodka cold, along with his own very elegant martini glasses so everything is ‘ just so’. This year, there is no dressing- room mingling, no hugs, no drinks or dinner after shows, no stagedoor adulation.
‘Now I just whisk them into cars and they’re gone into the night,’ says Paul Bouchier. ‘It’s very sad. It’s not normal.’
But still they were all poised to work two shows a day with only Christmas and New Year’s Day off, if only it had lasted.
‘We only opened on Saturday,’ says Clary. ‘ We are a collector’s item! We’re not ready to go. Some of us haven’t learned the lines yet. But go we must.’
And here are the sell- out audiences — queueing around the block, desperate to absorb a little panto magic in dismal times.
So desperate, in the case of Kirsty and George from Hertfordshire and their two kids, Sophie, five, and Harry, nine, that they bought three blocks of stalls tickets for this week in a last-minute splurge as Tier Three was looming.
Well, good for them! Let’s hope they feel they really got their money’s worth.
I certainly did as, after two hours and 20 minutes of pure bliss, the show climaxed with a standing ovation that went on for nearly four minutes, followed by a few words from Clary.
‘Thank you for showing that it is possible to enjoy live theatre. Well, possible today apparently, but not tomorrow ...’
And down came the curtain — on the show, the Palladium, live theatre in London, an awful lot of jobs and so much of the sparkle and joy of Christmas.
SARAH VINE IS AWAY