If you were in charge of opening theatres and live venues WWYD?

[cathyandclare]

I love the theatre and have many friends in the industry. The London West End theatres are a big attraction for tourists and the National, Globe, Stratford and Young and Old Vics and regional centres like the Lowri, Curve, Leeds Playhouse, Crucible and many others produce world- class theatre.

The SD guidelines make it impossible to open currently. I think they need 60% occupancy to make opening worthwhile. Without financial support and innovative ways of opening safely there could be no theatre when we stop social distancing.

The govt announced a review this week to come up with ideas- so MNetters please give me your blue-sky-thinking ideas for how to get theatres up and running ASAP.

I miss theathre SO much!!!

Plenty of good suggestions here, I think if theatres reopen with limited capacity, prices should increase for the time being for sit-in tickets and in addition, performances should be live-streamed online with users buying a licence to access and watch a particular performance live. Such licence should be significantly cheaper than the standard ticket to encourage more people to buy it. It's nowhere near the same experience as being sat at the theatre, but it's better than no theatre at all for so long, plus it may save the theatre itself and people's jobs.

For family groups you’d have to have each ticket named, and people need to bring ID to get in. Ticket resales are big business, and you’d end up with randoms sat next to each other.

I agree. It would have to be like going to Harry Potter or Hamilton. No resale, named tickets and ID only.

NAtional Theatre do live streaming anyway, so there is the facility/technology

I hope they don’t up the prices, lockdown is so depressing not having much money, it’s going to be so hard when we can finally go out but can’t afford anywhere

Screens between seats?

I love theatre and my family is at an age/stage now where I can afford to go more often and had quite a lot booked for this year. The sensible part of me notes that dh is frontline so bears and brings enough risk into our family as it is and we have an at risk dc. The bloody minded part of me thinks just open them all up and people will assess the risk for themselves (assuming that the cast/theatre staff get treated like premiership footballers in terms of access to regular testing etc). My mother is complaining that all her friends are now so fearful after 13 weeks of lockdown that they won't even meet for a walk in the park. Those who don't want to won't, and those who can/do can even if it is every other seat/every other row (I live with dh, I can manage a couple of hours being one seat removed!).

I just heard on the radio that more people attend Theatres annually than Football. However there's been wall to wall discussion on how to help football back to its feet. I'm gutted that many theatres and venues have been left floundering in this position or having to close permanently.

OP I think many of your ideas are good ones. I think firstly the industry needs a massive government cash injection. For an industry which generates so much for the economy I think it's deserves just as serious support as any other.

Could temporary 'sneeze guards' (like shops are doing) between grouped seats be an option as well?

Honestly, I don't know.

Dh is a vocal coach with students and ex students who were performing all around the world from West End to cruise ships and everything in-between, He is very concerned about the research regarding singing/high energy voice use and the spread of droplets. I don't know how you would keep the cast safe.

Dd is training to be a performer.

We are all booked for Something Rotten in Birmingham in October. It's about the only thing that hasn't YET been cancelled.

Theatre is our life. It's what makes life worth it. But we have to stay safe.

Scanning everyone for high temperatures before they enter the theatre?

The problem with saying just open them up and let people assess the risk themselves, is that there wouldn't be enough people willing to buy tickets in that scenario. Producers wouldn't be able to guarantee normal ticket sales, therefore they wouldn't tour in the first place.

I know I sound negative but I've thought about it a lot and until this is "over" ie no social distancing, a vaccine, normal confidence amongst the public, then theatres cannot operate in a meaningful fashion. And will close without a government bailout.

I watch streamed shows but IMO it is only a temporary measure. While I'm happy to pay in the short term to support the industry, it doesn't replicate the live experience in any shape or form. I hate the way the camera restricts my view. I want to see the sets, the orchestra, the actor in the background etc etc. and not have my view controlled. Television and film productions are designed to work within the restricted view of the screen, and are a completely different animal to the stage.

I think guaranteed testing for the crew would be the biggest step forward.
I wouldn't want to wear masks for 2 hours, but if that's the price I have to pay for theatre restarting, then I'll do so grudgingly.
Household grouping discounts sounds like a great idea to me!

I think, in the short term, ticket prices will have to go up to cover the losses. I really hope the industry survives.

Also record everyone's details so that track and test can happen.

I doubt anything will reopen with 2 metre social distancing but if it is 1 metre some places could operate at around 50-60% capacity which might just make it viable.

The problem is that with nothing on the horizon a lot of places could shut and if they do many of them will never return.

Sad times culturally and socially and very tough times economically.

I'm fairly convinced that ds caught corona on a trip to London to see Be More Chill. He developed a hacking cough that lasted 3 weeks, a headache and chest tightness a couple of days afterwards.

Visors all the way! (rather than masks/face coverings)

Temperature checks
1m distance
Visors for FoH staff
Visors for audience members (reusable, easily sanitised)
6 shows a week to allow for cleaning

Backstage, masks/visors and gloves for dressers/wardrobe staff/sound/stage crew
Temperature checks
Extra understudies

Until social distancing indoors is allowed though I think it will be a slow process to get back to normal.

The main problem with redundancies is it means a longer lead time to reopen, all staff, cast etc will need to be rehired which can take months.

I would have testing for staff. And temperature checks for the audience on entry and mandatory masks. And then leave it up to individuals to decide. I don’t know if you’d be able to sell enough tickets to make it financially viable but I’d go.

Hi! NC but regular.

I'm part of the theatre taskforce who are writing the government proposal, and my partner and my boss are both artistic directors of theatres. We're all working extremely hard right now to figure out how to re-open the theatres we are so passionate about. I'm reading your comments with great interest.

I also recommend this episode of Question Time, where my friend and colleague James discusses some of the issues facing British theatre and why a bailout is a sensible fiscal investment for the government.
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000jbwm/question-time-2020-21052020

NT Live is one of many theatres who are streaming past productions for free (some are also charging). Thespie.com is the best site to go for a complete list. I personally recommend Graeae's Reasons to be Cheerful which is free online until August.

thespie.com/digital?format=Filmed%20Performance

The Old Vic are currently selling tickets for live-streamed performances of Lungs (starring Claire Foy and Matt Smith), who will be rehearsing and performing in a socially distanced way. This will be the first production to be performed live and in person (not over Zoom), rather than streams of pre-existing productions. It is a test case for theatre in terms of exploring how to rehearse and stage productions safely.

I think by introducing socially distanced seating, maybe with clear screens installed every few rows and obligatory masks, plus some sort of temporary govt subsidy to make up for the reduced audience numbers, and online streaming of shows, might be things worth considering. Extremely worrying time for everyone in the industry.

I'd love to see Lungs, but I just looked it up on the Old Vic website and the tickets for online viewing are extremely dear. I personally find it off-putting. Now is the time to reach out to a wider audience and invite people in virtually, recognise that people are going through a tough time too. Those who want can contribute more, make a donation, there's nothing wrong with that. But getting people to fork out £65 pp for an online viewing is ridiculous IMO. I just won't pay the same money for online viewing as I would for a normal ticket and it's unreasonable to expect that.

Presumably musicals are the most screwed (& the most popular in terms of ticket sales?) - the singers’ droplets are nothing compared to the completely hazardous orchestra pit! Brass and woodwind instruments spray germs at a remarkable rate. Maybe the MU would unclench enough to allow recorded music for a suitable fee?

Pit bands are getting smaller & smaller which is sad but a lot is done through keyboards & Mainstage/Logic

There are some good ideas here (I worked in a West End theatre for quite some time).

More understudies and extra cast members will increase the costs though (but it would probably be needed).

I personally wouldn't go to the theatre if I had to wear a mask. I wouldn't do more than the essential if I had to wear a mask, because it is uncomfortable and I wouldn't pay for an activity if it is not going to be fully enjoyable.

My internet is not reliable enough for me to want to pay proper money for a streamed production, unfortunately.

Tickets to Lungs start at £10. The intention behind the pricing structure is that their wealthier patrons have the option to pay more as a donation, but that hasn’t been made clear.