Touring West End Shows May Not Return to Cardiff Until a COVID-19 Vaccine is Released

Touring West End productions may not return to Cardiff until a COVID-19 vaccine has been released, BBC reports.

Artistic director Graeme Farrow said that the Wales Millennium Centre hoped to stage "test events" with about 150 people in the audience in January, but they are unable to simply "flick a switch" to fill the hall with all 1,800 people it holds.

Farrow hopes performances can return in the new year.

"We want to run a series of test events for live performance with audiences," he said. "We think we can start testing that from January with the audience on the stage and not in the stalls."

"Because come the summer or the autumn, without a vaccine we won't be able to just flick a switch and have 1,800 people back in this auditorium," he went on to say. "We need to be able to plan through for that from early in the new year with small audiences, then we need to test 250, 500, 1,000 before we can even think about reopening for big shows."

For the time being, Farrow is hoping to reopen for big shows in May, at the earliest, but that date may move back.

The Welsh Government said its programme of pilot events with spectators at both outdoor and indoor events has "been put on hold, the public health position takes precedence".

"We understand this is a very difficult time for the sector and we will continue to work in partnership towards a safe reopening when the time is right," said a spokesperson.

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