Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group Outlines Potential Guidelines to Be Put in Place When West End Reopens

Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group is discussing guidelines that will need to be in place in order to safely reopen productions on the West End, according to The Telegraph.

Webber says that actors should not meet fans at the stage door, and should also consider wearing face masks whenever productions are able to reopen.

The Really Useful Group said that "lessons can be learned" from the production of The Phantom of the Opera in Seoul, South Korea which is still playing to capacity audiences of 1,600 despite the health crisis. The company is hoping that the government in the UK will look to the measures being taken to ensure patron and performer safety in South Korea.

An example of protocols include the cast and company not being able to greet each other with hugs, kisses, or handshakes. They are also not allowed to sign autographs after the show, and an announcement is made to audiences stating that signings are prohibited.

Webber's company is also urging the government to help monetarily, stating, "The industry needs to be able to plan and, in the absence of clarity about the end of lockdown and its permanency, West End Theatre will soon be in a position where significant government support is required for its survival."

The Really Useful Group received an insurance payout of "several million dollars" after the Broadway production of Phantom was pulled in March due to the Broadway shutdown. The company is hoping the government will do the same in the UK.

Read more on The Telegraph.