Last week the government announced that performances would be able to resume at indoor venues, with a lot of caveats and guidelines to follow. Here’s my outline guide to how the rules work.
Why is it important to comply with the new guidance?
It is essential to comply with the new guidance in order to slow down the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. If the guidance is not adhered to, the risk of venues and performances not taking place until a much later date increases. As a sector, we cannot risk the government rolling back restrictions in the future due to lack of compliance.
If we can’t comply with the new guidance, what should we do?
If you find that the nature of the production, or the venue for rehearsals and performances is unable to safely comply with the new guidance, then your performance should be postponed until you are able to safely carry it out.
What are the new rules?
The new rules are quite easy to understand but there’s a lot of them. You can find the full guidance document on the government website, but here is a summary of the main points:
- Maintain social distancing wherever possible. “Non-professionals should not engage in activities that may lead to social distancing being compromised”.
- Ensure activity takes place outside wherever possible, including performance.
- Limit the number of performers as much as possible. “Non professionals are restricted by rules on meeting people outside your home”.
- Audience capacity to be capped at a level which allows social distancing to take place.
- Reduce the number and length of rehearsals and performances as much as possible.
- Improve air ventilation by opening windows doors, and by using mechanical equipment where appropriate.
- Encourage audiences to comply with the safety of the event with signage and clear instructions.
- It is recommended that the event be seated and not standing to discourage moving outside of the household bubble.
- Discourage activities that might increase the risk of aerosol distribution like shouting and cheering.
- Prevent symptomatic people from attending.
- Maintain good hygiene and cleaning routines everywhere.
- Comply with contact tracing when appropriate.
- It is against the law for 30+ people to meet in private homes including gardens.
More information
There is a lot of further detail in the government’s documentation. I recommend you read and comply with this documentation fully prior to committing to any future performances.
Can Alex Jackson Pantomime Scripts be adapted to properly comply with the new guidance?
Absolutely! When you license one of my scripts, I am very happy for you to edit it to comply with the new guidance, or if you prefer, I am happy to create a version of the script that better fits your venue or cast. Simply get in touch with me and we can talk about the best way to do this.
- Read my policy on licensing scripts during the Covid-19 Pandemic. You are fully protected against cancellation and approval for future dates.
- Read my blog about different types of stage which might help you better social distance in your venue.