As yet again we head into another COVID crisis in the UK, with rising infections, hospitalisations and deaths, it is appalling to see the inaction from the West End and its governing body the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) — who have, since “Freedom Day”, flung their doors open to full houses and basically left it up to them whether or not they even wear masks, with only some venues checking for vaccinations or current negative tests.
Washington Post theatre critic Peter Marks has been in town, and his tweets (and warnings) to his US readers are salutary indeed:
As he tweeted:
During his stay he also tweeted this:
Actor Stephanie McKeon (currently playing Elsa in Frozen at Drury Lane) tweeted this yesterday:
At a country pub in West Sussex yesterday, I saw this — the public equivalent of the advice that SOLT give to theatregoers:
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And Peter Marks summed up his trip thus:
MY COLUMNS AND REVIEWS OF THE WEEK
Monday October 18:
- Last week’s That Was the Week That Was column is here: https://shentonstage.com/that-was-the-week-that-was-october-11-17/
- My ShentonStage Daily Newsletter for Monday October 18: https://shentonstage.com/shentonstage-daily-for-monday-october-18/
Tuesday October 19:
- My weekly updated list of new and returning shows: https://shentonstage.com/october-18-update-latest-scheduled-new-returning-shows/
- My ShentonStage Daily Newsletter for Tuesday October 19: https://shentonstage.com/shentonstage-daily-for-tuesday-october-19/
Wednesday October 20:
- My ShentonStage Daily Newsletter for Wednesday October 20: https://shentonstage.com/shentonstage-daily-for-wednesday-october-20/
Response:
Friday October 15:
- My weekly Friday review column: https://shentonstage.com/friday-reviews-october-22
- My ShentonSTAGE newsletter: https://shentonstage.com/shentonstage-daily-for-friday-october-22/
REVIEWS AND REVIEW TWEETS OF THE WEEK
Susannah Clapp in The Observer: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2021/oct/24/get-up-stand-up-the-bob-marley-musical-review-arinze-kene-lyric-value-engineering-scenes-from-the-grenfell-inquiry-tabernacle-love-and-other-acts-of-violence-donmar-warehouse
Other reviews/tweets by critics:
- On the Dante Project (Royal Opera House):
- Grenfell: Value Engineering (The Tabernacle):
- The Drifters Girl (Theatre Royal, Newcastle):
COVID NEWS TWEETS OF THE WEEK:
LONDON HEADLINES OF THE WEEK
REGIONAL HEADLINES OF THE WEEK
BROADWAY HEADLINES OF THE WEEK
Phantom of the Opera returns to Broadway
THEATRE BIRTHDAYS OF THE WEEK:
FAREWELL OF THE WEEK:
AND FINALLY, SOME FAVOURITE (AND SOME DESPAIRING) TWEETS OF THE WEEK