Theatres in London Cancel Performances Due to Rioting

As riots in London continued into a fourth night yesterday, several London theatres were forced to close their doors.

According to BBC News, among the theatres who cancelled performances were The Battersea Arts Centre, Greenwich Playhouse and the Arcola Theatre in Dalston.

Some theatres were advised by police to cancel performances; The Albany in Deptford announced on its Twitter page that the police had advised them to close their doors early for the night in order to best protect patrons and employees.

Alice de Sousa, the artistic director of Greenwich Playhouse - which was to open SLAY IT WITH MUSIC last night - released the following statement on the closing: "[The decision to close] was made following the police's advice, the reduction of over ground public transport (as a result of the vastly under reported Woolwich riots), the sense of panic as all the shops, banks, restaurants started to close and board up their windows on the charismatic and charming Greenwich High Road, and following shocking level of violence experienced the night before by the vast team of actors and crew who live in many of the affected London boroughs. Moreover, the painful awareness that our venue had been, the night before, surrounded by areas which were blazing in lawless and mindless destruction, made it a matter of great urgency to ensure the safety of our practitioners and perspective audiences."

No West End theatres have as of yet cancelled performances, but ticket holders are being advised to check with their respective venues before travelling to attend a performance.