National Theatre to create new socially distanced set-ups

Photo credit: Philip Vile

The National Theatre is currently working on introducing social distancing to its three venues. In the plan, which was submitted to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, the building hopes to reconfigure its spaces so that ‘social bubbles’ can attend together. If successful, it could provide a huge stepping stone for the industry. 

Last week, the first of these trials was held at The London Palladium, with a concert by Beverley Knight. Government guidelines meant that the capacity was almost quartered, whilst all audience members were required to wear face-masks. But despite this, there is still doubt over whether large scale productions can financially work under such restrictions. 

Public confidence is also a great concern for the National, with tourism suffering and large gatherings unlikely to return for some time. The DDCMS report also reiterated the need for freelance workers to receive more help, since there is still no date for reopening.