Coronavirus: Chairs of theatres issue rallying call to save theatre
Chairs of theatres and arts organisations from across the UK have signed an open letter urging people to lobby their MPs for support to prevent the sector collapsing, warning “tens of thousands of artistic careers” are at risk.
People who have signed the letter include Margaret Hodge, chair of Theatre Royal Stratford East, English National Opera chair Harry Brunjes, and Damon Buffini, chair of the National Theatre.
The letter warns the “performing arts are battling for survival at a time when theatre matters more than ever”.
“It’s not only the West End, the annual pantomime, world-class musicals, dance, opera and Shakespeare – it’s the creative and outreach work happening across the country in our diverse communities, outdoors, in pop-up spaces, at festivals and online,” the letter warns, adding that theatre can play a critical role, “inside and outside the sector, in challenging, educating and informing”.
“Our industry depends on the £1.3 billion of annual ticket sales that has now disappeared, with disastrous effects on companies, employees and freelancers. Even with a 1-metre social distancing rule, we could only fill about 25% of our seats – not a financially viable option,” the letter states, adding: “Without immediate and substantial support, theatres and performing arts companies will inevitably close and tens of thousands of artistic careers will be cut short.”
It urges readers to lobby government and parliamentarians and join “our fight for the survival of UK theatre”.
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The full list of signatories is as follows:
Margaret Hodge, chair, Theatre Royal Stratford East
Glenn Earle, chair, Young Vic
Robert Delamere, chair, English Touring Theatre
Ben Monks, chair, Deafinitely Theatre
Geraldine Brodie, chair, Actors Touring Company
Joan Ruddock, chair, The Albany Deptford
Luke Johnson, chair, Almeida Theatre
Amanda Parker, chair, Artsdepot
Chris Lawrence, chair, Blue Elephant Theatre
Charles Glanville, chair, Boundless Theatre
Simon Millson, chair, British Youth Music Theatre
Simon Johnson, chair, Bush Theatre
Kate McGrath and Isobel Colchester, co-chairs, Camden People’s Theatre
Prue Skene, chair, Cardboard Citizens
Richard Philipps, chair, Cheek By Jowl
David Micklem, chair, Chris Goode and Company
Kim Evans, chair, Clean Break
Lucy Davies, chair, Clod Ensemble
Vicki Busfield, chair, CoDa Dance Company
Benjamin Yeoh, chair, Coney
Catherine Rowan, chair, Culture & Libraries Committee, Vision Redbridge Culture & Leisure
Lord Browne of Madingley, chair, Donmar Warehouse
Áine Duffy, chair, Duckie
Dana Kohava Segal, chair, Emergency Exit Arts
Dr Harry Brunjes, chair, English National Opera and London Coliseum
Mark Beddy, chair, English Touring Opera
Mark Hawes, chair, Frantic Assembly
Sean Egan, chair, Fuel
Sarah Howard, chair, Graeae Theatre Company
Kevin Walton, chair, Green Shoes Arts
Delphine Brand, chair, Hackney Empire
Dawn Harrison-Wallace, chair, Half Moon Theatre
David Tyler, chair, Hampstead Theatre
Donna Munday, chair, Headlong
Melissa Butcher, chair, Immediate Theatre
Natasha Freedman, chair, Improbable Theatre
Dawn Austwick, chair, Kiln
Bernard Donoghue, chair, London International Festival of Theatre
Joseph Seelig, chair, London International Mime Festival
Lisa Burger, chair, Lyric Hammersmith
Jodi Myers, chair, Musical Theatre Network
Damon Buffini, chair, National Theatre
Dawn Airey, chair, National Youth Theatre
Charlotte Mooney, Ockham’s Razor
Lisa Mead, chair, Oily Cart
Nick Clarry, chair, London’s Old Vic
Charlie Thompson, chair, Out of Joint
Kim Grant, chair, Paines Plough
Sarah King, chair, Polka Theatre for Children
James Freedman, chair, Punchdrunk
Simon Turner, chair, The Roundhouse
Anthony Burton, chair, Royal Court Theatre
Lady Heywood, acting chair, Royal Opera House
Nigel Higgins, chair, Sadler’s Wells
Margaret Casely-Hayford, chair, Shakespeare’s Globe
Stephen Robertson, Shoreditch Town Hall
Heather Rabbatts, chair, Soho Theatre
Michelle Smith, chair, Spare Tyre
Robin Saphra, chair, Stagetext
Georgina Philippou, chair, Stratford Arts Trust
Karen West-Whylie, chair, Studio 3 Arts
Deepa Patel, chair, Tamasha Theatre Company
Sunita Pandya, chair, Tara Arts
Gareth Hughes, chair, Theatre Centre
Sioban Whitney-Low, chair, Theatre Peckham
Elizabeth Lynch, chair, Theatre-Rites
Sophie Scott, chair, Told by an Idiot
John Langley, chair, Unicorn Theatre
Jonathan Meth, chair, Vital Xposure
Nick Starr, chair, Yard Theatre, Hackney Wick
Wai Mun Yoon, chair, Yellow Earth Theatre Company
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