When will cinemas, theatres and art galleries reopen after lockdown?

The Prime Minister today announced that lockdown will gradually begin to lift from March 8, as some degree of normality begins to return over the spring and summer. There will be four phases to the easing of restrictions, but where do the arts fit in?

Theatre

Indoor performances will resume on or around May 17, as part of Step Three of the Government’s plan, with capacity limited to up to 1,000 people. Normal outdoor performances of up to 4,000 attendees, as well as seated outdoor performances for up to 10,000 attendees, can also resume.

Larger indoor performances will be back no earlier than June 21, as part of Step Four. The Prime Minister also suggested that rapid testing might be introduced as part of the return of larger performances.

We have already seen some big West End shows postpone their planning openings for this year, including Sister Act, Frozen, and Get Up, Stand Up: The Bob Marley Musical. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella is currently scheduled to begin previews on April 30, as is Hairspray at the Coliseum on April 22, while The Prince of Egypt plans to reopen on May 3. Those dates are no longer feasible.

The one certainty is that venues can still rehearse shows, which provides some much-needed employment for actors and creative workers. The Government will announce further Covid support packages in the Budget next week.

Social distancing will remain in place until at least June 21. It has a decisive effect on whether shows are financially viable or not, since it reduces the audience capacity dramatically, in some cases to one-third or less. Most shows need around 70 to 80 per cent of seats filled merely to break even. As a result, if social distancing continues into mid-summer or later, many venues might delay re-opening, as they work out whether they can actually afford to keep putting on shows with reduced audiences, or whether it’s best to wait and save their resources for now.

Inside the auditorium, audiences should expect most Covid precautions to remain in place – such as compulsory mask-wearing during performances, the use of e-tickets and card payments rather than cash, one-way systems and frequent use of hand sanitiser. It is not yet clear whether venues will require any proof of vaccine, or will continue to do temperature checks at the door as they did in 2020.

READ MORE: The roadmap for theatre is too cautious, too vague, and possibly too late

Cinema

Drive-in cinemas can reopen from April 12, while indoor cinemas will return on May 17 or soon after.

The range of films on offer will most likely feel bare compared to pre-Covid times. Long-delayed summer blockbusters such as Top Gun: Maverick, starring Tom Cruise, and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical In The Heights, are likely to capitalise on the timing. The much delayed Bond film, No Time to Die, however, is unlikely to brought forward from its current November date.

The experience for cinemagoers will likely be similar to 2020. Most chains were maintaining social-distancing measures across all areas within the cinema, and offering hand sanitiser to all ticket holders and employees, while toilets were stocked with anti-bacterial hand soap and staff had been given stringent hand-washing guidelines.

Since last year, booking systems have been updated to allow friends and family to sit together while ensuring a safe distance between customers from different households in the auditoria. Start and end times for films were being staggered to regulate crowding, and one-way systems operated throughout the buildings. Face coverings were mandatory.

READ MORE: Cinemas are safer than shops – the science does not support keeping them shut till May

Galleries and museums

Museums will be able to re-open from May 17; while art galleries were not specifically mentioned in the announcement, it is assumed that they will also re-open then.

Major spring and summer exhibitions, like the V&A’s Alice, Whitechapel Gallery’s Eileen Agar and Tate Modern’s Rodin, are expected to open from the earliest possible dates. Mask wearing, limited advanced booking and social distancing measures will remain in place until at least June 21.

Concert halls and gig venues

Indoor concerts of up to 1,000 attendees, outdoor performances of up to 4,000, and seated outdoor performances of up to 10,000 can resume from May 17, while larger indoor and non-seated outdoor performances could be back from June 21. Pilot events to gauge the feasibility of that timescale will be running from April.

Legally, this means that some small early summer and larger late summer festivals could be back, although it remains to be seen whether the shifting dates and insurance concerns will make this practically possible. Glastonbury has already cancelled its 2021 plans.

Television

Thanks to bubble systems and regular testing, many shows resumed production in 2020 and have continued into the new year. Last May, the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky and other British broadcasters agreed a set of guidelines for the safe operation of sets, and these are expected to remain in place for the time being.