Andrew Lloyd Webber warns the arts are at 'point of no return' - BBC News

The composer and theater commander told members of Congress that it is “impossible” to economically isolate the theater from society.

He told the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sports Selection Committee: "We just need to get our arts department back to normal operation."

"We are irretrievable."

In July, Lord Lloyd-Webber gave a concert at the London Palladium to test whether he could keep his distance from society.

He spent £100,000 on the pilot project, hoping it could get the theater business started and operational.

He hopes to prove that the theater can be opened safely at full capacity. However, the concert must be held with hundreds of empty seats to comply with the government’s social distancing guidelines.

Since then, London has opened two major indoor theaters, but the number of audiences is limited. Most theaters, including the West End, are not yet open.

Lord Lloyd Webber said: "Now, we really can't continue."

"Theater is an incredibly labor-intensive business. In many ways, performing a show now is almost a labor of love.

"There are few performances that win big prizes like Hamilton, The Lion King or the Phantom of the Opera."

He added that theatrical works "unlike movies, you can't just open the building".

Supporting art earlier this year was widely welcomed by the industry.

But Lord Lloyd Webber emphasized the importance of naming the theater's reopening date.

He also discussed the "critical" importance of clean air. He said: "I am absolutely confident that the air in London Palladium and all my theatres is cleaner than the air outside."

He also suggested that he could transfer the Cinderella that is about to be produced from the UK to "a place where people's help has increased." It was originally scheduled to open in the West End this month.

Rebecca Kane Burton, Chief Executive Officer of LW Theatres, Lord Lloyd-Webber’s venue operating company, added: “We don’t want to open theaters on social distancing. I don’t. It is planned to open the building with 30% of the production capacity."

She said that in recent months, the industry has caused "disastrous catastrophe".

"This is a very bad and catastrophic moment and we need to find a solution. It is frustrating that the pilot was not seen as a way to completely reopen."

She added: "We need time to plan. We can't open the theater like a tap. Christmas is in balance when we speak."

A DCMS spokesperson said the government is "working hard to support our world-class performing arts field in challenging times."

She said: "Our unprecedented £1.57 billion cultural restoration fund is based on an emergency public fund of £200 million to stabilize the organization, protect work and ensure that work continues to flow to freelancers. This funding will support all scales across the country. Organization, including theaters.

"Now, both indoor and outdoor performances can be performed in auditoriums far away from society. We are working closely with the industry to put forward innovative proposals on how to make all audiences return home safely. We also hope that the public will visit the theater To show their support when they start to reopen."

, Culture Minister Oliver Dowden (Oliver Dowden) said that the government is working on a project that will enable some theaters to return in time for the Christmas pantomime season.

He also suggested that a quick test can help ensure the recovery of the theater. "Testing is the short-term key until an effective vaccine is found. We have made exciting progress in rapid turnaround testing, where the daytime coronavirus test allows people who test negative to visit the theater that night." He wrote .

In a speech on the BBC News Channel, actor Simon Callow said that this kind of test is a "dream" and added: "This is exactly what we need to explore."

He also said that the vacation plan (which is helpful to some people in the art industry) should be extended beyond October. Jon Morgan, head of the Theater Trust, agrees.

He said in a statement: "There is no early restoration of the theater's full opening. The vacation is scheduled to end in October. We will see more layoffs and permanent closure of more theaters."

Lucy Noble, the artistic and commercial director of the Royal Albert Hall and the chairman of the National Arena Association, told the DCMS committee that "the inability of the venue to perform will have huge consequences...serious financial consequences."

She added: “All venues are financially numbered... When Oliver Dowden announced the £1.57 billion rescue plan, the Royal Albert Hall was hailed as the plan to save. One of the jewels in the crown.

"We were told that we were not eligible for any grants at all.

"We are only eligible for loans. We have already received loans worth £10 million. We don't want to take on more debt."

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