Oliver Dowden: 'I want theatres fully open by Christmas'

Culture secretary Oliver Dowden has suggested that theatres may be able to reopen fully by Christmas, with mass testing for audiences meaning social distancing rules could be dropped.

Testing will be the "short-term key" to getting theatres running again while the nation waits for a Covid-19 vaccine, Dowden said.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, he said he wants to see more progression towards stage five of theatre’s reopening roadmap – when venues can restart performances without social distancing – and that he hopes to reach it by the end of the year.

Dowden described Whitehall efforts to reopen theatres in time for the festive period as Operation Sleeping Beauty.

He said: "Mass indoor events are now in my sights. Socially-distanced audiences have been allowed since mid-August, and it’s great to see organisations like the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, and musicals like Sleepless – A Musical Romance, back up and running again.

"But we need to start filling seats in much larger numbers – not just for the audiences, not just for the venues and livelihoods who depend on them, but for the entire urban economy, too. Theatre is a lynchpin of London’s West End and its absence is painfully reflected in its deserted streets."

Dowden has previously said that the government would not consider announcing any dates for full reopening before November, meaning the crucial cut-off point for many theatres to commit to staging Christmas shows and pantomimes was missed.

Many venues have now said they do not plan to reopen again until 2021 as a result.

However, while not committing to a date, Dowden said Operation Sleeping Beauty "aims to bring back some of the magic of theatre for families this Christmas".

"There are people waiting in the wings to get full performances back on during the crucial Christmas period – and I want to support them.

"I won’t allow the UK to be a laggard in the race to return live theatre. If we cherish the hustle and bustle of our cities and our vibrant urban economy, then we need to show our cultural organisations and businesses support now," he said.

A report in the Sunday Times suggested that plans to allow theatres to reopen without social distancing are being accelerated by government, with potential for shows to restart without restrictions on November 1.

In order to facilitate audiences returning at full capacity, Dowden said innovative approaches, such as quick-turnaround testing, would be necessary.

As part of the government’s plan to introduce widespread mass testing that it hopes will revitalise life in the UK in the absence of a vaccine, on-the-day testing could also unlock the potential for full theatre audiences, Dowden said.

"Innovation is key. It has the ability to rewrite the entire script, and I’m keen to take some of the best experimental ideas for getting people into our theatres safely and put them into practice. It could be using technology to improve ventilation in venues, as used in the pilots at the London Palladium and other theatres," Dowden said.

"Testing is the short-term key until we find a working vaccine. We’re making exciting advances in quick turnaround testing, where on-the-day coronavirus tests could give people who test negative a pass to visit the theatre that evening," he added.

Dowden cautioned that any approach would not be risk free, and that the government "cannot guarantee plain sailing", but said: "That’s just as true when people sit next to each other on planes. But as with flying, we can minimise the threat and help adults find ways to feel a sense of normality – whether it’s by getting on a plane, enjoying a half-price meal out (as 100 million did last month), or, indeed, by visiting the theatre."