Andrew Lloyd Webber Talks the Uncertainty Surrounding the Future of CINDERELLA and the Industry As a Whole

Andrew Lloyd Webber recently chatted with The Sunday Times about what affect the health crisis has had on his work, updates on his upcoming production of Cinderella, and the future of the industry.

"I sensed in mid-February how serious this was going to be," he said of the health crisis. "I heard from very reliable medical sources that it was grim. We called an emergency meeting and said, 'We've got to be prepared for the fact that the theatres are going to close and Cinderella is not going to get on.'"

Webber said that, from there, the workshops were cancelled and moved to weekly Zoom meeting with Carrie Hope Fletcher, who plays Cinderella, and the rest of the company.

Even now, Webber is unsure if next year's opening date will be possible.

"The big issue now is, do I push the button? We moved it back to next year, but we still don't know if we're going to be able to open then," he said. "Do we start building sets? We're having to say to the actors, 'Look, we love you, but it's a case of us all crossing our fingers here.' We simply don't know."

Webber also talked about the future of the industry in general, and how everything is still so unclear. He said that he feels for the government at this time, while everyone is asking for clear-cut dates for reopening.

"I have sympathy with the government in terms of everyone demanding clarity in what is fundamentally an unclear situation," he said.

He also said that he believes there will be an end to this, so he hopes that companies will be able to weather the storm.

"We can't shut up shop entirely, because there will be an exit from all this. We just have to batten down the hatches and keep going for as long as possible," he said. "I've got a very small but key core team here, and I'd want to keep that together whatever happens."

Read the original story on The Sunday Times.

Webber recently posted a video on Twitter, featuring a new song from Cinderella sung by Fletcher, with some updates and clips from the show's production process. Check it out here!

Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella, a complete reinvention of the classic fairytale, is based on an original idea by Emerald Fennell, the Emmy Award nominated lead scriptwriter of the second season of international smash hit Killing Eve, with a brand new score from the legendary composer and lyrics by David Zippel.

The show's lyrics are by David Zippel, a multi-award winner for Broadway productions including City of Angels, The Goodbye Girl, The Woman in White and Liza at the Palace, as well as for work on film including Disney's Hercules and Mulan, both of which received Oscar nominations.

Cinderella will be directed by Laurence Connor, with choreography from Joann Hunter, who previously partnered on School of Rock and the recent, sold out production of Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at The London Palladium.

All further creative team and cast announcements regarding Cinderella will be made at a later date.