Theatres Trust Director Jon Morgan Says Opening Theatres at Reduced Capacity is 'Not Economically Viable'

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, UK Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has announced that UK theatres and music halls will be allowed to reopen on August 1, with socially distanced audiences.

However, Jon Morgan, director of the Theatres Trust, thinks that theatres will need to be completely reopened in order to make any money, The Guardian reports.

"For most theatres it will not be economically viable to reopen with 30%-40% audience required under social distancing," he said. "We now need to progress as quickly as possible to an announcement on the all-important stage five. Without this, most theatres cannot reopen viably, and we need the go-ahead for Christmas shows, on which the survival of many theatres depends, in the next few weeks at the very latest."

Read more on The Guardian.

As of July 11, Dowden said that outdoor theatre is allowed.

"That means theatregoers can experience a live play for the first time in months, in places like the stunning Minack Theatre in Cornwall. And music lovers can attend Glyndebourne this summer," Dowden said.

"We're taking various measures to make these places safe as they reopen," he added. These include reduced venue capacity and the use of electronic ticketing to help test and trace. "Our performing artists deserve an audience, and now they will be getting one."

This all comes after the UK Government announced a £1.57 billion rescue package to help the nation's cultural, arts and heritage institutions weather the impact of the health crisis.

The funding will go to support struggling theatres, museums, galleries, music venues, heritage sites and independent cinemas. It includes £880 million of grants for the financial year to April 2021, supplemented by £270 million of repayable loans.