London’s West End theatres go into coronavirus shut down and top cinema chains also close their doors in the wake of warning to steer of social venues to combat deepening crisis
London’s West End theaters and cinemas have acted quickly following government advice on Covid-19 by shutting its doors until further notice.
Prime minister Boris Johnson announced on Monday that the nation should avoid going to pubs, clubs and theaters following the escalating coronavirus pandemic.
Shortly after, the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) released a statement saying that the West End would close until further notice.
The West End went into shutdown on Monday night following government advice to the public on avoiding pubs, clubs and theaters amid the coronavirus pandemic
UK Theatre also claimed it would take the same measures with its 165 venues around the country.
Julian Bird, chief executive of SOLT and UK Theatre said: ‘We are extremely grateful to all of our audiences who have continued to support us for as long as they can, and to theatre staff across the country who have worked so hard in recent weeks to ensure the safety and enjoyment of audiences.
‘Closing venues is not a decision that is taken lightly, and we know that this will have a severe impact on many of the 290,000 individuals working in our industry. In these uncertain times, SOLT and UK Theatre remain committed to helping provide vital support for those in need, and hope we are able to welcome audiences back to our theatres before too long.
‘Many theatres that have been forced to cancel performances are charitable enterprises, and while ticketholders are all entitled to a refund for cancelled performances, those who can afford to do so are encouraged to donate the cost of their ticket to show support for the theatre industry.’
The Odeon cinema is one of the first to close its doors following the prime minister’s recommendation that the public avoid pubs, clubs and theaters
Odeon announced on Twitter that it would close until further notice
Cinemas chains soon followed suit on Tuesday with the Odeon announcing an immediate closure
In a statement posted on Twitter the cinema chain said: ‘Following Government guidelines Odeon cinemas are closed until further notice.
‘If you have pre-booked tickets online these will be refunded automatically.’
The cinema chain that first opened in 1930 in Birmingham and features in over 120 venues across the UK and Ireland revealed it was keeping an eye on the situation and would hope to reopen at the earliest opportunity.
A spokesperson said: ‘In line with the latest Government guidance on COVID-19, we are temporarily closing our cinemas.
‘We will continue to monitor the situation and look forward to welcoming back guests as soon possible.’
Cineworld also announced it would be closing its doors from Wednesday until further notic
As well as the Odeon other cinemas also revealed nationwide shutdowns.
Cineworld and Picturehouse has announced the closure of all its cinemas across the UK starting from Wednesday and in Ireland starting on Tuesday until further notice.
A statement said the decision was made in light of the current coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak and recent UK government advice.
Cineworld Group CEO, Mooky Greidinger said: ‘At Cineworld and Picturehouse we are committed to providing safe and healthy environments for our employees and guests and have therefore made the difficult decision to close our cinemas in UK and Ireland until further notice.
‘We deeply value our cinema-loving customers and have no doubt we will be serving everyone again as soon as possible with a full slate of Hollywood blockbusters and the best of independent films and content.’
Even before the government’s latest recommendation, venues had made decisions to close its doors early.
The Old Vic was the first to shut its doors on Sunday with Endgame, starring Daniel Radcliffe, seeing its run end two weeks early.