Welcome to the bumper packed Christmas edition of Ensemble. I hope you’re all keeping safe and well.

There’s plenty to enjoy this month including pantomimes, Christmas jumpers and your highlights of 2021. There’s also some hugely exciting news about Anything Goes and the grand opening of Theatre Royal Sydney! Howard and I were thrilled to be there in person this month and it was certainly a night to remember and cherish forever. I’d like to say a special thank you to Tim, Torben, Jono, Houri, Tracy, Nick, Damien and everyone at the venue for making us feel so welcome and for their exceptional commitment and hard work on the Theatre Royal project. It’s a beautiful, iconic international venue we can all feel extremely proud of.

Sadly, this month also brings more uncertainty and challenges following the announcement of the Covid Omicron variant and Plan B restrictions in England. As we look ahead to 2022, our industry will continue to face these challenges and we must all be prepared to adapt, innovate, influence and reassure, as indeed we all have since the start of the pandemic.

There are positives and negatives in the announcements made last week. We’re encouraged that the Government has acknowledged that theatres are a safe environment by not extending the ‘proof of vaccination’ rules to indoor seated settings at our scale. This is a proportionate response and one which recognises the energy, hard work and commitment that the whole industry has put in to ensure Covid-safe operation since reopening. Similarly, the changes to the 10-day self-isolation rules are balanced and will be hugely helpful to producers in keeping shows open and touring through the winter. This is a positive step for an industry still recovering from the worst period in its history.

Our sector was ahead of the game in recommending that face-coverings should be worn in theatres (unless exempt or consuming food and drink in bars or auditoriums) and, whilst there will be some challenges for our venue teams in enforcing the new rules, we welcome the fact that this move provides a clear and consistent line on this issue. We hope it will offer further reassurance to customers, performers and venue staff.

However, whilst these measures will increase confidence for some, there is a danger that further restrictions may amplify concern for others particularly our more vulnerable audience members. As expected, we have been fielding calls as a result; and after a fairly extraordinary bounce-back over recent months we are concerned at the potential for some customers simply to ‘stay-away’ over the crucial Christmas period. As we are once again faced with challenges and uncertainties, we stand firm in our position that we must do everything in our power to protect our world-leading industry, keep our theatres open and oppose any further restrictions that could risk a return to the unimaginable.

And now, following Boris Johnson’s “Omicron Emergency” broadcast last week, let’s hope that the Government’s commitment to offering a booster jab to every UK adult by the end of December is a success, allowing us to retain our freedoms and reassure those who continue to worry about Covid. Life must go on, and we all need to find a way to live with this virus, as it will be around for many years.

Pre-pandemic assumptions around audience behaviour may no longer serve and even those of us who have spent our lives in the theatre will find ourselves in a new world.  Those who adapt quickly, who are not afraid to experiment and who dedicate resource to understanding what audiences want now, will be rewarded. Covid safety measures must also be seamless and stress-free. Theatre is a refuge and a joy in times like these – we need to remind audiences of that.

But we finish this year on a high. And as our corporate Christmas card says below, this year we staged the biggest comeback of all – the return of live entertainment. We have all achieved so much in 2021. It’s unbelievable really considering what we’ve been through with the pandemic. You can read all about incredible achievements in our Review of the Year.

Thank you to every one of you for your continued commitment, sacrifice, resilience and hard work. I’d like to wish you and your loved ones a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous New Year.

Warmest wishes
Rosemary