Can theatres survive?

sir – Dominic Cavendish (Arts, October 2) related his experience of The Great Gatsby at Immersive LDN and suggested that this is the template for Covid-safe theatre.

Mr Cavendish is right. At The Space, a fringe venue in east London, we have just finished our run of Aristophanes’ Ploutos. This rumbustious and engaging production gained consistent five-star reviews while playing to sell-out, socially distanced audiences of 30 every night (with a ticketed livestream for Friday’s performance).

Our next production, That Was All, starts on Thursday and runs throughout October, and we are welcoming 40 people per night. All the safety measures adopted by the Gatsby team will be used here, too. The delight of audiences getting back to the theatre is palpable.

Is it viable? Barely. Do we wait in nervous hope for the Cultural Recovery Fund awards to be announced on October 12? Yes. Do we believe that theatre will survive? Yes – with the enthusiasm that audiences are showing. Whether at Immersive LDN, The Bridge, regional theatres or here at The Space, the show will go on. Andrew Straw

Treasurer, The Space Theatre London E14