New tier system reveals impact on planned theatre productions across England

Photo credit: York Theatre Royal

Following the Health Secretary’s announcement in the House of Commons this lunchtime, theatres have been informed about whether their productions can proceed with social distancing measures in place or whether they must remain closed.

The majority of the country will be placed in tier two from 2 December, whilst many have also been allocated the highest tier. This will be re-evaluated in two weeks time, with any changes announced on 17 December.

Currently the following areas have been placed in tier 3 so theatres in these localities must remain closed: Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Redcar and Cleveland, Darlington, Sunderland, South Tyneside, Gateshead, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, County Durham, Northumberland, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Blackpool, Blackburn with Darwen, The Humber, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Birmingham and Black Country, Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull, Derby and Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, Leicester and Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Slough, Kent and Medway, Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.

Those areas in tier 2 whose entertainment venues will be able to open with socially distancing and capacity restrictions in place include: London, Cumbria, Liverpool City area, Warrington and Cheshire, York, North Yorkshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin, Rutland, Northamptonshire, Suffolk, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, including Peterborough, Norfolk, Essex, Thurrock and Southend on Sea, Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes, East Sussex, West Sussex, Brighton and Hove, Surrey, Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell Forest, Windsor and Maidenhead, West Berkshire, Hampshire (except the Isle of Wight), Portsmouth and Southampton, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, South Somerset, Somerset West and Taunton, Mendip and Sedgemoor, Bath and North East Somerset, Dorset, Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Swindon and Devon.

If any new area information comes to light, we will add this to the list above.