Cancellations in the UK caused by coronavirus

[capybara]

From the ROH just now. My bolding:   Dear xxxxxx It is with regret that we must cancel the upcoming Ballet Studio Live event. The programme was due to feature performers from companies involved in International Draft Works, which we have had to cancel due to global travel disruption caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. The cancellation of International Draft Works means that Ballet Studio Live will also be unable to take place as planned. We will refund your tickets automatically to the original method of payment, so you do not need to do anything. As we are experiencing a high volume of transactions, please allow up to 5 working days for this to be processed.  All other productions at the Royal Opera House are currently expected to continue as scheduled, as per guidance from Public Health England.

[Quintus]

I suspect it's only a matter of a couple of weeks before the ROH, Sadler's Wells and other big venues etc cancel performances or close their doors completely.  It's not just the crowd issue; the companies themselves will also get to the point where they are sending dancers home.  The big consultancy I work for is stress testing an 'everyone work from home day' today, with the view that this will likely become business as usual within weeks. 

 

Having said that, I just optimistically bought tickets at Dance East for a couple of weeks time - it only seats perhaps 150 or 200, so can perhaps sneak under the typical threshold..

[Bruce Wall]

Seems the West End may go the way of current Bdwy ... if this is any indication ....

 

The London premiere of Christopher Durang’s Tony Award-winning Best Play comedy, ‘Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike‘, due to start previews at Charing Cross Theatre on Saturday 21 March will not now go ahead as planned due to concerns over the Coronavirus, making it the first West End show to announce its cancellation due to the worldwide epidemic.

[onemouseplace]

Just seen that ROH have created an FAQ page for coronavirus queries on their website:

 

https://www.roh.org.uk/visit/covid19-faqs?fbclid=IwAR2dODibG4LT06LQ6vChGqFmsrFxYyciCbRFAmmEHLdOsY0ORkC3FxLXR-4

[Tony Newcombe]

First cancellations at ROH. Studio Live next Tuesday and International Draft Works on Thursday. School has also delayed Solos Evening next Thursday

Edited to add Studio Live would have been Draft Works rehearsal

Edited March 13, 2020 by Tony Newcombe
Extra info

[alison]

From today's links, a foretaste of things to come in the UK

 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/9320a032-6456-11ea-8024-40a080f12cd1?shareToken=293178870333f251af807014dbb690b7

[bridiem]

51 minutes ago, alison said:

From today's links, a foretaste of things to come in the UK

 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/9320a032-6456-11ea-8024-40a080f12cd1?shareToken=293178870333f251af807014dbb690b7

 

Hugely depressing article. And for dancers, what if they can't even do class?

[alison]

The Facebook post posted by annamicro a few days ago shows the La Scala dancers trying their best:

 

 

[penelopesimpson]

8 hours ago, bridiem said:

 

Hugely depressing article. And for dancers, what if they can't even do class?

That is, as you say, hugely depressing, the more so when there is no obvious answer.  Personally I think there’s a lot of over reaction going on, but I understand the fear.  Our local doctors surgery is refusing to make appointments for anything and has erected yellow barricades at the entrance.

[Beryl H]

5 hours ago, penelopesimpson said:

That is, as you say, hugely depressing, the more so when there is no obvious answer.  Personally I think there’s a lot of over reaction going on, but I understand the fear.  Our local doctors surgery is refusing to make appointments for anything and has erected yellow barricades at the entrance.

 

Luckily I was able to get my usual 3 month's medication last Wednesday!

[Terpsichore]

I have been looking forward to Danza Acosta and Northern Ballet's Geisha for months but I am wondering whether it is responsible to see them right now.

As of 09:00 this morning there were 1,140 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the UK. That does not seem a lot given the size of our population. However the statistic is more worrying when it is considered that only 37.746 tests have been carried out, the daily rate of increase in the number of confirmed cases is accelerating and the  virus can be passed before symptoms come to light.  The Chief Scientific Adviser estimated on Thursday that there could be between 5,000 and 10.000 undiagnosed cases each of whom can spread the infection. Also, that estimate was given on Thursday and it was only an estimate.  The fact is that there is no way of quantifying the risk. It may be trivial or it may not.  The fact that one of our health ministers, the wife of the Canadian PM, prominent sportsmen and film actors have contracted it suggest to me that the risk is more than negligible.

Another factor to consider is that that most patients who have contracted the disease have made a full and rapid recovery but that's looking across the population as a whole. Persons in my age group who catch the bug  carry a much bigger risk of complications and indeed death.  Even if one is not concerned for ones own safety one has to consider the risk of spreading the infection to third parties some of whom will be vulnerable.  

Yesterday I had to weigh up similar considerations when deciding whether to postpone  sine die a long planned and much anticipated workshop on the Snowflakes scene from Act I of The Nutcracker which was to take place today.   I decided to postpone as a result of which I took a £600 hit as I had to pay the instructor, studio and other incidental expenses.  The consideration that was decisive for me is that many of our members of our company have young families and the  possibly remote prospect of motherless children was unbearable.   

The considerations would be different if it were only my health and welfare to consider but of course it is not.   

[rowan]

The Stage is listing minute-by-minute updates over theatres, cancellations of shows, procedures they are putting in place for staff and theatregoers, etc. At the moment the West End stays open.
https://www.thestage.co.uk/features/promoted/2020/coronavirus-breaking-news-and-live-updates-as-the-theatre-industry-responds/

[alison]

I fear the time has probably come to set up a separate thread for cancellations due to coronavirus in the UK, so I've copied some posts over from the "La Scala" thread  

 

As a reminder, what Sim has said elsewhere:

  

On ‎13‎/‎03‎/‎2020 at 13:14, Sim said:

Hi all.  In these extraordinary times, we mods understand that everyone is worried about the current world health pandemic.  As is always the case with social media, any big news gives rise to rumour, speculation and mis-information.  For this reason, we are asking that, going forward, any discussion of the Covid-19 virus be limited to its effect on cultural closures.  Please don't discuss the medical or political aspects of this problem.  We have already had a couple of posts reported, and in order to stem anything further from snowballing we are curtailing inappropriate comments, even if they are made in good faith and with helpful intent.  We don't want to risk adding to anyone's worry or distress, or disseminating mis-information.

 

We wish you all well;  take good care of yourselves.  In the meantime, please keep sharing your thoughts about what gives us joy in this increasingly strange world:  ballet and dance.  Thank you for your understanding.

 

With best wishes,

Sim

Chair, BalletcoForum Committee 

 

[Terpsichore]

When the pandemic passes we will need the arts more than ever to help us recover from the worries, restrictions on movements, business failures, loss of jobs, illnesses and in many cases bereavements that are likely to occur over the next few weeks or months.  It will in many ways be worse than the recovery from the second world war because ballet companies and other performers regularly toured barracks, naval bases, airfields and factories.   Those who attended Sadlers Wells' first performance of The Sleeping Beauty in 1946 tell us that it was very special.  Many drew analogies with Aurora's awakening after years of misery.   It will be like that but perhaps more so when we can return to theatres in droves.

If we want the arts to raise our spirits it is therefore incumbent on us to make sure that they survive.  That won't be easy because companies will have been relying on ticket  sales.   There may be some extra money through the national Arts Councils but I really would not bank on that.   The whole of British industry will need help particularly the airline, hospitality and tourist industries.  And there will be a depleted tax base from which to raise the revenues to help them.

So I think we the theatre going public have to be a bit generous.  We should renew our subs or join groups like the Friends of Covent Garden and the like. We should buy their merchandise.  Wherever possible make donations or remember them in our wills.    

We must not focus entirely on the big national and regional companies.   It is just as important to keep our local ballet schools and teachers afloat for they train the next generation of artists.  

[ninamargaret]

Have just received an email from the Arcola theatre advising that they are closing 'until further notice' . Obviously smaller theatres do not have the resources th big nationals have. A great pity - they do excellent work.

[San Perregrino]

I’ve had an email from the Old Vic. The remaining 2 weeks of Endgame have been cancelled.

[LinMM]

I think I can now write off Swan Lake in April one way or the other....either the theatres will be closed by then or people in my age group will be in some sort of draconian four month lockdown at home 😢

 

 

 

[penelopesimpson]

I have this vision that when we all wake up from the collective hysteria, the only people still standing will be Tesco and Amazon. 

 

I have no idea whether the measures being taken/proposed are correct or not, but my gut feel is there is some over-reaction going on and a sense of perspective has flown out of the window.  I don't relish the idea of either myself or my friends and loved ones getting sick,  but nor do I want to live in a world where all the small businesses and arts outlets that keep this and many other small towns  wonderful places to live, have gone to the wall.  In Dorset our medical centre has literally gone into fortress mode,  whilst people working in the supermarkets are continuing as normal.  As they are clear that they will not handle people with Coronavirus, we cant figure out quite what they will be doing.  My area is full of retired elderly people who are concerned that they seem to have been abandoned.  

 

Like another poster, I have pretty much resigned myself to missing out on the April performances of Swan Lake that I have booked, although I live in hope that The Dante Project may go ahead.  For myself, I would happily travel to London but both sets of neighbours are elderly and vulnerable and I can't risk infecting them or leaving them without someone to do the shopping.  The London based authorities have made assumptions that everybody is on social media which is not the case - many have no broadband access, nor do they possess a mobile phone.

 

As a country we have survived far worse than this and we will come through.  But I am concerned that we seem to have gone soft and our bulldog spirit has become a whimper of victimhood.

[rowan]

We have been asked several times not to talk about the political and medical aspects of Coronavirus. Those of us living directly with the effects and  life-threatening knock-on side-effects of it, who know some actual verified facts, will beg to differ on whether it is “collective hysteria” or a “whimper of victimhood”. I could say much, much more, but we have ALL been requested not to talk about this on this ballet forum.

[RobR]

I think it inevitable that performances will cease in the near future.
 

This will inevitably add to financial pressure on both the RB and the ROH.
 

With this in mind, I do not intend to return or seek a refund on tickets I currently hold for performances which are either not performed or for which I choose not to attend. 

Edited March 16, 2020 by RobR
Typo

[Jan McNulty]

There are other ballet companies in the UK too.  They will all be badly affected as will everyone in the Arts in the UK.

[rowan]

In addition, community and amateur arts organisations are closing. My local community choir shut down yesterday, along with its twin choir nearby, and our concert cancelled. Community groups can restart later, but our choirmaster is a professional musician paid by the choirs he teaches.

[Janite]

Update (13th March) from ROH on how they are dealing with coronavirus. 

 

https://www.roh.org.uk/visit/covid19-faqs?fbclid=IwAR1_gnXp5LuCJjdcOdKPw_bqr3Fhu-H4Px2QW4KfTqjs4jt_I-1CKESx_SI

Edited March 16, 2020 by Janite

[penelopesimpson]

3 hours ago, rowan said:

We have been asked several times not to talk about the political and medical aspects of Coronavirus. Those of us living directly with the effects and  life-threatening knock-on side-effects of it, who know some actual verified facts, will beg to differ on whether it is “collective hysteria” or a “whimper of victimhood”. I could say much, much more, but we have ALL been requested not to talk about this on this ballet forum.

Apologies.  Didn't realise the subject was off limits.  Thanks for pointing that out.

[penelopesimpson]

1 hour ago, RobR said:

I think it inevitable that performances will cease in the near future.
 

This will inevitably add to financial pressure on both the RB and the ROH.
 

With this in mind, I do not intend to return or seek a refund on tickets I currently hold for performances which are either not performed or for which I choose not to attend. 

Do you know, Rob, I have been thinking along the same lines.  I've got 3 sets of Swan Lake, 2 sets of Dante as well as Cavalleria so it would represent a considerable loss but perhaps it might help in some small way.  It may be embarrassing for ROH to suggest it to patrons - is there another way we could get the message across?  I do, by the way, recognise that everbody's circumstances are different so this is not meant as virtue signalling or anything pushy.

Edited March 16, 2020 by penelopesimpson

[alison]

52 minutes ago, Janite said:

Update (13th March) from ROH on how they are dealing with coronavirus. 

 

https://www.roh.org.uk/visit/covid19-faqs?fbclid=IwAR1_gnXp5LuCJjdcOdKPw_bqr3Fhu-H4Px2QW4KfTqjs4jt_I-1CKESx_SI

 

"Any future changes will be communicated to bookers via email, via our website homepage and the Royal Opera House Twitter feed."

 

Obviously the most efficient way to be dealing with it, but what about their (more elderly?) patrons who are not online?

[LBC]

As mentioned on the LBC thread, Henry Danton, the centenarian teacher and former dancer, has postponed his travel to the UK until June and will not therefore be speaking to the LBC tonight, 16th March.

[Putting this here as well because, although this cancellation was mentioned in the LBC March Newsletter, is posted on the LBC website and has been notified on BCF, enquiries about the event are still being received and it would be unfortunate if people turned up unnecessarily.]

 

It has also been announced that Sage Dance Company have decided to cancel both the ‘In Conversation with Irek Mukhamedov’ evening on 28th March and their Every Body Dance 2 Show on 7th April.  Full refunds are available from Brown Paper Tickets.

 

[Sophoife]

Arts Centre Melbourne has closed its doors for a month, forcing the cancellation of all but three performances of The Australian Ballet's mixed bill Volt, comprising McGregor's Chroma and Dyad 1929, and Alice Topp's new piece Logos. The Sydney Opera House is closed. Most theatres are closed or closing.

 

But schools and universities are mostly still open, although it is understood they will close soon.

 

Even here in country NSW we now have a drive-through testing centre, although it's acknowledged there are shortages of stuff to be used in the testing kits because of attitudes in government I won't comment on here.

[MAX]

Not to talk about the virus ?  But I mean,  in the Europe or not, you should wake up in the UK.

 

How is it possible to go on with shows ?  Here (Switzerland)  meetings with more than 5 people are forbidden. Shops are closed. 

 

I am sorry but the beautiful world of ballet is behind us for some time.

 

It's just being realistics and responsible !

Edited March 16, 2020 by MAX

[rowan]

3 hours ago, MAX said:

Not to talk about the virus ? 

Just the political issues relating to it or the medical aspects of it on some parts of the forum, I think.

[capybara]

The daily statement from the Prime Minister has just made it clear that people should not be going to theatres. This implies closures from tomorrow.

[Bluebird]

I was due to go to this evening's performance of Traviata.  After hearing the Prime Minister's announcement, I called the ROH Box Office to find out if it would go ahead.  I was told that it would be going ahead as normal.  However, minutes after putting the phone down, the very kind Box Office Assistant called me back to tell me that the performance had, indeed, been cancelled.   That presumably means no more ROH performances in the immediate future.

Edited March 16, 2020 by Bluebird

[penelopesimpson]

Respect your view, MAX, but many of us in the UK prefer to chart our own course rather than follow diktats.  Personally, I am allergic to the word forbidden whereas knowlege and persuasion work for me every time. 

 

A tad disconcerted by the idea that five people constitutes a meeting!

 

We cannot blithely assume that 'the beautiful world of ballet' can be deep frozen, ready to be defrosted in its entirety just because we decide to emerge from our caves.  Nothing political or medical, just that proportionality and perspective should be the name of the game.