Tomorrow marks a milestone in the re-opening of theatres across the UK, as the first pilot performance goes ahead at the London Palladium. The first performance to take place in a London Theatre in months will be a concert from none other than the iconic Beverley Knight.
These trial performances will help test social distancing measures of indoor performances ahead of the 1 August, when will be allowed to resume.
Beverly Knight in the wings of the 2015 Olivier Awards. Photo by Matt Humphrey.
Measures put in place to keep audiences safe include mandatory masks and temperature checks, e-tickets and contactless security checks, extra hand sanitizing points and an anti-viral demisting machine, which Andrew Lloyd Webber described as ‘very theatrical’.
Andrew Lloyd Webber at the Olivier Awards 2017 with Mastercard ceremony (Photo: Getty/Jeff Spicer)
These trials will be socially distanced, but Andrew Lloyd Webber is keen to continue testing into full capacity scenarios. He has joined many other industry leaders in welcoming the re-opening of theatres, but stating that most productions still won’t find it possible to open with distancing in place. He explained that most plays need to have an audience at at least 65 percent capacity – even higher for musicals – to begin to be economically viable.
We wish Andrew Lloyd Webber, the Palladium and Beverley Knight the best of luck tomorrow, and we can’t wait to let you know how this historic pilot performance goes!