Welcome to the August edition of Ensemble. I hope you’re all keeping well and enjoying the summertime.

Well, there has certainly been a significant change since the last newsletter and finally something to cheer about! The final lockdown restrictions were lifted in England on 19th July and theatres, cinemas and other live entertainment venues were allowed to open their doors to full capacity audiences without social distancing measures in place for the first time in 16 long months.

What a delight to witness three standing ovations at the Barbican Centre as Anything Goes played to a SOLD OUT audience on its opening preview and how theatregoers relished in the return of The Rocky Horror Show in Southampton as the UK Tour got underway with a SOLD OUT performance.

In Southend-on-Sea, Cliffs Pavilion became our first regional theatre to open last weekend with two SOLD OUT performances of Jimmy Carr’s Terribly Funny Tour, which was also being filmed for a major streaming platform. Congratulations to the venue teams who pulled out all the stops to ensure that the weekend was a huge success. The fish and chips were excellent as well!

And 499 days later,  following a forced closure, a name change and a major refurbishment, Trafalgar Theatre welcomed back audiences last week to yet another SOLD OUT performance, this time of the global hit phenomenon, Jersey Boys, and Oh, What a Night! Howard and I had tears in our eyes along with most of the audience, just so wonderful to be back in a full theatre again sharing in a fantastic experience.

The message to our industry is clear and we have known of this pent up demand for some time, but to finally see theatres full of happy people, cheering, singing, applauding, is just pure magic.

And the message to our customers is clear. Our venues are safe and will continue to follow government guidance, and people know they can now book with confidence for fantastic shows, cinema events and live experiences through summer and beyond. As a company and as producers, we are leading the way in terms of messaging and approach, and that is clearly reflected in the current sales.

However, as we’ve seen in other parts of the world, the current situation remains unpredictable and continues to present ongoing challenges, and behind the scenes, our teams are working tirelessly to meet the demands of an ever changing landscape. And on that note, we send our thoughts and support to colleagues in Australia, who are faced with an extended lockdown in Sydney. Due to uncertainties there around future restrictions impacting the live performance industry, we are disappointed to announce that sadly, the Australian premiere of Jagged Little Pill and thus the opening of Theatre Royal Sydney has been postponed. We are of course working to reschedule rehearsals and performances and will update in due course.

Until next time, take care and look after yourselves.
Best wishes
Rosemary