Ban on live theatre leaves UK’S ‘cultural landscape in collapse’

By Amy Jones THEATRES will be able to open from July 4 but live performances will still not be allowed, raising question marks over the future of the arts.

Leading industry figures warned that the country’s “world-beating cultural landscape is in collapse”, as new guidance banned actors and musicians from returning to the stage.

Whitehall sources said that singing, speaking loudly and dancing have all been found to increase the risk of spreading coronavirus, particularly among those in close proximity.

Oliver Dowden, the Culture Secretary, will establish a task force with public health experts and industry figures to help theatres in England open fully “as soon as possible”.

From July 4, theatres will be able to utilise their space for events like screening old productions or hosting events. However, media and entertain- ment union Bectu warned that redundancy consultations were already taking place across the industry and said the Government had failed to recognise the “seriousness of the situation”. James Graham, the playwright behind Ink and This House, warned that the UK’S “world-beating cultural landscape is in collapse”.

Theatre insiders have told The Telegraph that the autumn is the general target for reopening. Other leisure venues including cinemas, art galleries and museums will be allowed to reopen more fully in July, albeit with their own social-distancing rules in place.

Galleries and museums will operate with one-way systems, spaced queuing, increased ventilation and pre-booked tickets. Cinemagoers can expect to sit with their own household, with seats kept free between separate bookings. There will be no pick ‘n’ mix.