London productions will be able to rehearse and perform without audiences during the country-wide lockdown.
Oliver Dowden, UK secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport, tweeted the clarification Monday, following the announcement that the country would enter another lockdown from Nov. 5 through at least Dec. 2.
“Arts venues are places of work, so people can come into them for work, if it cannot be undertaken from home. This includes rehearsals and performance. Audiences are not permitted,” the tweet reads.
The lockdown coincides with the planned return of several West End shows. Several have moved their dates to December, while others, including “The Comeback,” plan to move forward with their originally scheduled dates in December.
One of those productions, “Six,” now says it plans to reopen on the West End on Dec. 5, rather than its initial start date of Nov. 14. But it cautions that there is still the possibility of further delays.
“Until there is certainty from the government confirming reopening dates, we can’t ignore the possibility of an extension to the lockdown and a further delay to reopening,” the tweet reads.
