June 2021
21 June - Covid-19 unlocking: Theatres forced to push back shows to avoid losing money after uncertainty over reopening
Theatres already fighting for survival have been left dreaming of what could have been after the date for the lifting of Covid restrictions was delayed by four weeks.
21 June - ‘This has dragged on too long, we are desperate’ – Michael Flatley calls for reopening of entertainment industry
The industries most affected by the UK’s delayed reopening will need to find almost £50m to cover wages once the government’s furlough scheme is cut back on 1 July, according to analysis by the Labour party.
21 June - Covid-hit industries will need extra £50m after furlough ends, says Labour
The industries most affected by the UK’s delayed reopening will need to find almost £50m to cover wages once the government’s furlough scheme is cut back on 1 July, according to analysis by the Labour party.
21 June - Sarah Crompton: Five thoughts as theatres begin to reopen
It’s an anxious time for British theatre, and as I watch the Euro 2020, tennis from Queen’s, Ascot racing and the cricket on TV, it’s hard not to feel that once again our cultural life has been neglected while sporting fixtures surge ever onwards. But assuming that theatre does indeed manage to get back to full performing life in July, there are conclusions to be drawn from all that the sector has been through in the past 18 months.
21 June - Civic life is under assault – theatres can play a vital role in restoring it
Drama instigates debate and changes lives. With venues open again, this is a chance to build a truly civic theatre culture
21 June - Rain or shine, the great outdoors offers a way forward for theatre
Oliver Dowden made a slip-up when, in a hastily deleted tweet, he gave credit to the government for having supported the lovely Minack Theatre in Cornwall via the Culture Recovery Fund. The prudence of the gorgeous outdoor clifftop theatre meant it was ineligible for any funding.
21 June - Why art and culture is good for the soul, the West End and the UK
There’s never been a better time to let spellbinding art and culture flood back onto the capital’s streets and into everyone’s lives, writes Ros Morgan
20 June - Summer festivals are crying out for help – but the Tories don’t want to hear it
The pandemic has revealed the Johnson government’s attitude to the arts: a mixture of indifference and hostility
20 June - Is the future of live theatre on streaming services?
Far from being a lockdown fad, streamed plays could revolutionise the stage
20 June - Playwright Jasmine Lee-Jones: ‘The theatre industry is full of isms and schisms and nepotism’
The creator of the hit play Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner on the power of comedy and why Instagram is almost like cosplay
18 June - Andrew Lloyd Webber hits out at ‘profit-driven’ private equity in theatre
Andrew Lloyd Webber has taken aim at private-equity financing in theatre, claiming companies such as Ambassador Theatre Group are too focused on profit and that he is concerned about the future of the UK’s commercial venues as a result.
18 June - Pushing for full theatre reopening ignores vulnerable – disability campaigner’
Theatre leaders pushing for the full reopening of venues without evidence of their safety for vulnerable people are behaving “almost criminally”, a leading disability campaigner has claimed.
18 June - Matthew Xia: ‘True change must include access to power as well as opportunity’
For decades, the theatre sector has responded to accusations of institutional racism with half-hearted measures and token gestures, says Actors Touring Company’s Matthew Xia – action, not promises, is needed at all levels to ensure our industry reflects the whole of British society
17 June - Culture Recovery Fund delay leaves theatres 'worse off' than when they applied
Theatres and producers have revealed they have still not received promised Culture Recovery Fund grants, leaving them eating into precious reserves and in a worse financial position than had they not applied for funding.
17 June - Joyless scientists and ministers are a threat to the future of British music
Restrictions are loosening on glitzy sporting events, but fastening tighter round the neck of grassroots music venues. Where’s the logic?
16 June - ‘West End theatres won’t survive unless they get firm re-opening date’
West End supremo Sonia Friedman has warned the theatre industry needs a firm re-opening date or it may not survive.
16 June - Athena Stevens and Paule Constable: Small acts and moments of grace are key to theatre freelancers’ well-being
For the opening keynote speech of The Stage’s Future of Theatre conference, theatremaker Athena Stevens and lighting designer Paule Constable address the difficulties faced by freelancers during the pandemic and outline the positive steps workers can take to change the industry for the better
16 June - Towards a more civic theatre
It’s easy to blame the challenges now facing theatre on the longest shutdown of stages since the mid-17th century. But these problems began well before the pandemic, argues Dan Hutton.
16 June - Show us the data: if theatres aren't safe, we need to know
…our industry is facing “imminent collapse”, according to Sonia Friedman, thanks to the government’s decision to delay full reopening until at least July 19. The mood in commercial theatre feels nearly as grim as in December when theatres were forced to close a few performances after reopening. Again, we are all plunged into uncertainty.
15 June - What was the point of the Government’s pilot events?
Whitehall-approved gatherings long ago proved that live music, clubs and theatre can reopen safely. Then why haven’t they?
15 June - Timothy Spall, Shaan Sahota, Universal Basic Income for artists
Actor Timothy Spall on his new painting exhibition; Shaan Sahota on being a playwright and a doctor; and a proposal for Universal Basic Income for artists in Ireland.
15 June - Edinburgh Festival Fringe chief hits out at delays over easing of restrictions
Organisers of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe have hit out after the Scottish Government delayed a decision on lifting controversial curbs on live events.
15 June - When British culture is in crisis, Oliver Dowden’s gaffes aren’t so funny
The Culture Secretary is the ministerial equivalent of The Play That Goes Wrong. In our Covid-induced plight, it’s less comic than tragic
15 June - Nica Burns: I am confident we can reopen from July 19
Nimax chief executive Nica Burns has hailed a “shift in government policy” that she claims lends more certainty to a full reopening in July.
15 June - Covid: Delay to full reopening a hammer blow, says live event sector
Live music, theatre and other events have been dealt a “hammer blow” by a four-week delay to the final stage of easing lockdown restrictions in England, industry figures have said.
The move means the capacity of venues will remain limited by the requirements around social distancing.
14 June - Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella could go on despite lockdown extension, PM hints
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s latest production could be exempt from the delay in lockdown easing, Boris Johnson hinted in his Downing Street briefing announcing the four-week postponement of the relaxation of all rules.
Last week, Lord Lloyd-Webber said he was determined to open his theatres on 21 June regardless of whether rules are relaxed, and was prepared to be arrested if authorities try to intervene.
14 June - Statement on the latest government guidance
Following today’s Government announcement of a delay to Roadmap Stage 4, SOLT and UK Theatre Chief Executive Julian Bird has released the following statement:
14 June - Prime Minister reveals plans for pilot events to test theatrical performances with fewer restrictions
The Prime Minister Boris Johnson has revealed further pilot events to test live theatrical performances with increased capacities.
The news comes as “step four” in the government roadmap to reopening is pushed back by four weeks, and is now set for 19 July after its original 21 June date.
14 June - What the lockdown roadmap delay means for theatres, galleries and cinemas
Step Four on the roadmap out of lockdown has been postponed until July 19. How does that affect the arts industry?
14 June - ‘Most difficult setback yet’ – theatres face financial hit as roadmap delayed
Theatre figures have warned of the imminent “financial ruin” faced by individuals and organisations, as prime minister Boris Johnson confirms a four-week delay to ending all Covid restrictions.
14 June - Nightmare in the West End, the sequel: ‘If restrictions remain into the autumn, it all collapses’
The government’s four-week delay to Step Four is ‘devastating and disappointing’, say leading producers and theatre-owners
14 June - Boris Johnson: We will delay the next step in reopening until 19 July
As confirmed earlier today, Johnson has stated that there will be a delay to the government’s step four in the roadmap to reopening.
The fourth and final step in the current roadmap would have eased distancing restrictions and allowed audiences to sit in auditoria at capacity.
14 June - Government-backed insurance scheme close to being secured – reports
A government-backed insurance scheme for theatre is on the brink of being agreed, it has been reported.
Following theatre closures in March 2020, the theatre industry has been lobbying hard for an insurance scheme that would protect venues from future closures and allow productions to reopen confidently when restrictions are eased.
14 June - London’s West End is sleepwalking into oblivion – the Government must wake up
Our commercial theatres need government-backed insurance – many livelihoods are under existential threat if Step Four is delayed
14 June - Open air theatre should be treated differently to indoor – Minack boss
The Cornish theatre will have to continue to maintain social distancing.
14 June - Was NT's Hex announcement another example of theatre's nepotism problem?
Given how hard the past 15 months have been on the theatre industry, the National Theatre’s announcement of its new season was inevitably going to be subject to heightened expectations – treated not just as a season, but as a statement.
13 June - The theatre is watching as its scenes are stolen
Tighter rules north of the border mean skills are heading south in search of an audience
13 June - G7 partners’ trip to theatre backfires after minister’s gaffe
A visit to a beautiful open-air clifftop theatre in Cornwall by partners of the G7 leaders ended in embarrassment for the UK government after the culture secretary wrongly claimed it had received emergency funding during the Covid crisis.
12 June - Curtain poised to rise on state rescue for theatres
Theatre grandees have an agreement in principle for a taxpayer-backed insurance scheme
11 June - As curtains rise again, the theatre is set to look very different
Ralph Fiennes’s one-man show is an apt beginning for drama’s post-covid journey
11 June - Minister in charge of EU touring negotiations rapped for snubbing DCMS committee
A government minister responsible for securing post-Brexit EU travel for creative workers has come under fire for failing to appear for questioning before a select committee.
11 June - Sir Elton John warns musicians face EU tour 'catastrophe'
Sir Elton John has warned MPs that the UK music industry could lose “a generation of talent” because of post-Brexit restrictions on touring the EU.
The musician accused ministers of being unwilling to fix a “gaping hole” in the current Brexit deal which means artists need costly visas to play in the bloc.
11 June - Ian McKellen launches grants of up to £25k for actors' wages in new shows
Ian McKellen is launching a new fund for emerging producers to cover performers’ wages, as his donations to British theatre top £5 million.
11 June - Touring companies launch ‘game-changing’ anti-racist blueprint
A blueprint for making touring productions anti-racist has been launched. It has been labelled a “game-changer” for the industry and will hold organisations to account.
10 June - Andrew Lloyd Webber is right. Our theatres must reopen fully
So now we know what Andrew Lloyd Webber thinks about any delay to the lifting of Covid restrictions on June 21. Depending on whether you believe what he told the Mail last week or the Telegraph this week, he is either going to sue the government over the legality of keeping venues at 50 per cent capacity or open his theatres at 100 per cent capacity and wait for the police to arrest him.
10 June - 'Anti-racist rider' created to ensure theatre actors have safe spaces on tour
List of requests could ensure venues direct touring stars and staff to inclusive pubs and away from football crowds on match days
10 June - Creative Scotland announces details of extra £25m emergency funding
Creative Scotland has published full guidance for Scottish venues and production companies to apply for a share of £25 million additional Covid relief.
The organisation says a further £13 million will be made available through the Culture Organisations and Venues Recovery Fund, plus £12 million through the Performing Arts Venues Relief Fund.
10 June - Theatres can safely open at capacity with audiences wearing face masks, UCL study suggests
A major study at University College London has used laser technology to measure the impact of face coverings in helping to mitigate risks of Covid.
According to the results, the wearing of masks cuts the spread of aerosol droplets by 99 per cent, with those transmitted also travelling much more slowly.
9 June - The culture war is running out of steam
Conflicts over gender, race and language may not disappear but our enthusiasm has peaked
9 June - Dear Boris Johnson: give theatres clarity or insurance
And so, again, for what feels like the umpteenth time, we all wait for another 5pm Monday press conference and an announcement from prime minister Boris Johnson that will determine the future of large swathes of the theatre sector.
9 June - Does more need to be done to protect the arts? Telegraph readers have their say
Telegraph readers respond to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s comments that theatres must be allowed to reopen without social distancing
9 June - Covid vaccine segregation takes off in parts of the US – and is branded ‘absolutely dreadful’ by expert
Some bars and restaurants in New York City have implemented segregated seats to separate vaccinated people from the non-vaccinated
9 June - Drama schools issue joint response condemning harassment
Twenty of the UK’s leading drama schools – including those facing allegations of sexual harassment and bullying – have issued a joint statement declaring a zero-tolerance approach to misconduct and promising to continually review their policies.
9 June - Theatres pose almost no Covid risk, say Whitehall sources
Numbers back Andrew Lloyd Webber’s cause after he told The Telegraph he would open new show in defiance of social distancing limits
8 June - Lloyd Webber says he will risk arrest to reopen his theatres on 21 June
Andrew Lloyd Webber has said he is determined to open his theatres on 21 June regardless of whether rules are relaxed, and is prepared to be arrested if authorities try to intervene.
8 June - How a job advert signalled freelancer recruitment may be becoming more transparent
Working the old-school 9am-to-10pm days in theatres over the past few weeks – a shock to the system when you’re out of practice – has confirmed that the new normal feels a lot like the old one. For all the talk of building back better, the danger was that once things got going again, business as usual would prevail. Change is, after all, hard.
8 June - Andrew Lloyd Webber: ‘If you want to stop theatre, you’ll have to arrest us’
Amid fears of more social distancing, Lloyd Webber insists his new musical Cinderella will open on June 25 ‘come hell or high water’
8 June - Welsh Government pilot events are 'foot dragging' and 'delay tactics' claim night-time economy leaders
An industry body which represents around 170 night time economy businesses in Swansea and Cardiff has branded Welsh Government pilot events for sport and large gatherings as being nothing more than “foot-dragging theatre and delay tactics”.
7 June - Freelancers need to discover the liberation of ‘no’ to avoid being exploited
I was forced to embrace improvisation at drama school, never having done any youth theatre, and it instilled the fear of God in me. I never have been funny and there is no denying that the super-objective of improv is to make people laugh.
7 June - Companies struggle to hire outdoor spaces due to cost and availability
Theatre companies are warning that prohibitively high prices and uncertainty over Covid-19 are hindering their efforts to stage outdoor work this summer, with reports that some venues are hesitant to hire their spaces to theatre producers while others have withdrawn entirely.
7 June - Show Must Go On! campaign raises over £1million
The Theatre Support Fund+ has raised over £1million for theatre charities, they announced during last night’s broadcast of The Show Must Go On! Live at the Palace Theatre.
7 June - Safeguarding training is the key to protecting theatre’s most vulnerable
We need sector change, and we need it now. It has been a difficult few days in theatre, not least with the news of historic sexual abuse allegations in drama schools. Now is a time for compassion for the victims. But it is also a moment to take stock and take action.
6 June - Cabinet minister ridiculed for boast about saving permit-free music tours to tiny Liechtenstein
Agreement with alpine microstate near-identical to that offered by 27-nation EU – which UK rejected
4 June - Exit, pursued by a loan: a plan to save the National Theatre
The National Theatre in London closed its doors in March last year. When it reopened them at the end of the year, it couldn’t keep them open for long before theatres had to shut again. Could its bosses Rufus Norris, the artistic director, and Lisa Burger, the executive director — they share the job of chief executive — have done more to keep the show on the road? Now, with the theatre again reopening this week and a new season just announced, they say that they are confident they did everything they could to keep their theatre, which receives an annual grant of £16.7 million from the Arts Council, as busy and as useful as possible.
3 June - Ireland to pilot basic income guarantee for artists
Calls are growing for the UK-wide adoption of “a basic income guarantee for creative workers” following the Irish government’s announcement that it is to trial a three-year scheme costing €82.2 million (£70.8 million).
3 June - MAD Trust, UK Theatre Industry Organization Raising Funds For HIV and AIDS Projects, Announces Closure
The Make A Difference Trust revealed today that they will be taking their final bows, announcing their closure.
‘We bow out and lower the curtain on the Make A Difference Trust, taking with us memories that we can all cherish,’
3 June - Scottish government allocates further £40m in Covid relief for culture sector
The Scottish government has announced further Covid-19 relief of up to £40 million for the culture sector, of which £25 million will be earmarked for venues.
3 June - ‘We needed a sanctuary’: new art-house seeks justice for Birmingham’s creatives
After the city’s Rep theatre leased itself to a Nightingale court, marginalised locals decided to set up their own creative space
3 June - Many students, few jobs: Is the industry training too many actors?
The pandemic has severely impacted job opportunities across the creative and culture sectors, while the government is making cuts to arts education budgets. Actors, agents and industry leaders tell Amanda Parker whether we are facing an oversupply of performing talent, or just thinking about training in the wrong way
2 June - Cornwall 'theatrical superpower' Kneehigh to 'wind down'
A theatre company that grew from Cornwall to tour around the world is “winding down” after 40 years.
Kneehigh said in a statement that “recent changes in artistic leadership” had raised questions about whether the troupe could “sustain their vision”.
2 June - Mill at Sonning plans to convert rehearsal space into accommodation to boost income
The Mill at Sonning is seeking planning permission to convert its existing rehearsal space into two residential properties in order to provide income to support its theatre operations.
2 June - How the 2021 Edinburgh International Festival was saved
Covid-proof pavilions and extra concerts — the festival director Fergus Linehan talks to Richard Morrison about staging this year’s event
2 June - Andrew Lloyd Webber threatens to SUE the Government if theatres are not fully reopened from June 21
Andrew Lloyd Webber last night said he could take ministers to court if they do not allow theatres to operate at full capacity from June 21.
The impresario said it would be ‘the final death blow’ if the relaxation of restrictions does not go ahead as planned later this month.
2 June - Arts companies increase board and programming diversity a year after BLM pledges
England’s biggest arts organisations have increased the diversity of their boards and main-stage programming over the past year but are lagging on improvements to staffing, new research on the sector’s anti-racism progress has suggested.
2 June - Drama school 'heartbroken' over student harassment claims
A top drama school has begun an internal investigation after students claimed they had been sexually harassed.
The Academy of Live and Recorded Arts (Alra) said it was “heartbroken” after learning of the allegations against former staff members.
2 June - Arts companies increase board and programming diversity a year after BLM pledges
England’s biggest arts organisations have increased the diversity of their boards and main-stage programming over the past year but are lagging on improvements to staffing, new research on the sector’s anti-racism progress has suggested.
2 June - From fantastic views to fox urine: the joys and perils of outdoor theatre
This summer, while indoor theatres reckon with stringent social distancing measures, some are combating Covid-19-related issues by taking things outdoors.
2 June - Entertainment industry needs a unified approach to tackle harassment
It is hugely welcome that UK Theatre is developing a whistleblowing hotline to allow theatre workers to report abuse.
1 June - Mark Rylance: arts should tell ‘love stories’ about nature to tackle climate crisis
Sir Mark Rylance has called on the arts to help solve the climate crisis by telling stories that persuade people to “fall in love with nature again” and prompt government to back green policies.