Coronavirus: West End theatres to stay closed until June 28 at the earliest

West End theatres will now be closed until at least June 28 as the coronavirus crisis continues, it has been confirmed.

The Society of London Theatre has issued an extension to London’s venue closures, which will see performances suspended for at least three months.

A statement said the latest information "does not mean that theatres will reopen on June 29", with SOLT stressing that any further periods of closure will continue to be announced on a rolling basis and that "different theatres and productions are likely to reopen at different times".

SOLT said: "London’s West End looks forward to welcoming audiences back into theatres as soon as performances can safely resume. To give our customers some clarity, we have been cancelling performances across the West End on a rolling basis, in line with the latest advice from the government.

"We are grateful to customers for the patience they are showing during this challenging time for our industry. With 300,000 people visiting West End theatres in a normal week, it’s a major undertaking to process refunds, exchanges and credit notes, particularly when many staff are working remotely. Please rest assured that we are all working as quickly as we can and we appreciate the on-going support of our audiences."

Theatres across the West End and the UK closed on March 16, until further notice, with SOLT later announcing that reopening would not occur before May 31.

The newest extension to the closure timeline comes as the West End transfer of Sunday in the Park with George, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, becomes the latest major opening to be pushed to next year as a result of the closures. It had been due to open on June 11.