Theatre impresario hits out at Tier 3 move

SIR Cameron

Mackintosh has said the Government’s decision to put London into Tier 3 of coronavirus restrictions is “devastating” and “smacks of panic”.

The theatre producer said the “volte-face” by the UK Government damages theatre and the wider economy.

Under the new restrictions, which also apply to parts of Essex and Hertfordshire, entertainment venues including theatres, concert halls, art galleries, cinemas and museums must close from tomorrow.

In a statement, Sir Cameron added that the move “makes all our considerable and costly efforts to ensure the safety of both performers and audiences alike, widely praised by the health authorities, seem worthless”.

He said it breaks “any sense of trust between us as an industry and the Government departments we’ve been trying to build a rapport with”.

Sir Cameron is currently putting on Les Miserables in the West End.

He added: “We have almost 100 mostly selfemployed performers and staff working on Les Miserables – The Staged Concert at the Sondheim Theatre. At a stroke, this Government has tipped them into unemployment just in time for Christmas. Bah Humbug to the prime minister and the men in white coats.

“We will have to disappoint thousands of patrons over the next few weeks who were booked to safely see Les Mis.”

Michael Harrison, director of the Pantoland pantomime which opened at the London Palladium on Saturday, said he is “deeply concerned” about the financial impact of Tier 3 restrictions.

He added: “Whilst the safety and health of our visitors, staff and performers is of extreme importance, the Government’s yo-yoing is frankly appalling.”