West End to Shutter As Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre Announce Closure of All Venues
By: A.A. Cristi Mar. 16, 2020
The UK theatre industry has responded to the Covid-19 outbreak. This afternoon, the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre announced the closure of all their venues, including all West End productions.
We regret to announce that from this evening SOLT and UK Theatre venues have closed in light of official government advice. Your box office/retailer from whom you bought your tickets will be in contact with regards to refunds and exchanges. Read more: https://t.co/k4ENR118JU pic.twitter.com/cxsLHIMKW5
- Official London Theatre (@london_theatre) March 16, 2020
The closure comes on the heels of the urging of Prime Minister Boris Johnson that patrons avoid mass gatherings to stop "non-essential contact" with others and "non-essential travel". He recommended that people work from home where possible and avoid pubs, clubs and theatres.
The new measures are in recognition of the UK approaching the "fast growth" phase of the upward curve, which means cases could double every five or six days. Families are being urged to stay home for 14 days (up from seven) if any member of that household is ill.
The guidance is particularly aimed at people who are over-70, pregnant, or have underlying health conditions. Johnson noted that the situation is especially serious in London, where the spread of coronavirus is ahead of the rest of the country.
Read more here and get updated on the UK's handling of the crisis here.
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