CORONAVIRUS NEWS: RSC closed until at least end of April

THE Royal Shakespeare Company has announced it will remain closed until at least 30 April. thIn an email to theatregoers who have booked tickets for the forthcoming summer season, the company warns it may have to extend cancellations beyond that date, depending on government advice.

The email adds: “We are, of course, extremely sad that we are needing to take this step, but our first priority is always to protect our audiences, our staff and the general public.”

The Stratford-based company, which employs around 1,000 people, says it is following “all government guidelines around the Covid-19 outbreak”. As well as performances, events, educational and other activities have also been cancelled, and RSC buildings in the town are closed to the public until the end of April.

The statement says: “This date will be under constant review following government, Public Health England and industry advice, and it may lead to us extending these cancellation dates.”

The company says it will contact customers by email over the next few weeks to discuss refund options, including the choice to donate the ticket price “to help us through these very challenging times”. It adds: “Thank you for all the support and affection you have shown for us in the past few days; it really means a lot to all of us.”