In a major boost for theatre, the cast and crew of theatre productions will no longer have to self-isolate if they come into contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid - provided they have been double jabbed or are under-18 - under new rules introduced today in England.
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| Carrie Hope Fletcher, Laura Baldwin, Victora Hamilton-Barritt, Georgina Castle, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella. Photo: Tristram Kenton |
A slew of shows including Cinderella, Prince of Egypt, Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat, Jersey Boys, Hairspray, The Lion King, Changing Destiny and, most recently, Anything Goes had been forced to cancel performances, or in the case of Cinderella postpone productions entirely, due to members of the cast or crew being required to self-isolate following close contact with a positive case.
Unfortunately, we have to announce the cancellation of Friday 13 & Saturday 14 August performances of Anything Goes. We'll share an update on Sunday's performance as soon as possible. Thank you in advance for your understanding. pic.twitter.com/BcvNYFfi4M
— Barbican Centre (@BarbicanCentre) August 13, 2021
Adults will now be advised to take a PCR test, wear a mask and limit social contact instead.
Despite the rule changes, Andrew Lloyd Webber has still cast doubt on whether his new version of Cinderella will reopen for previews in just two days. He told the Times that the production “can’t go on with this stop-start... if Cinderella can’t open, it will have to be sold to an American investor”
