Andrew Lloyd Webber thinks Covid-19 will keep theatres shut until Sept

Andrew Lloyd Webber whose LW Theatre chain are amongst those currently closed in the West End due to Covid-19 fears that it will be September before the West End theatres re-open.

Andrew Lloyd Webber - Composer In Isolation In an interview with New York's Page Six, Andrew Lloyd Webber feared that theatres re-opening in June might be "Optimistic" or "Ridiculous". As of yesterday, the Broadway theatres shutdown was extended to 7 June, whilst many theatres in the West End and around the UK are working towards a hoped re-opening at the beginning of June.

"I think this (Covid-19) peaks in June, and the theatres remain closed until September" he said.

“We need these places, many are old, safe as possible. We’ll self-clean handles, wipe doors, utilise every safety measure. People won’t wish to crowd into small clustered seats again. But we must reopen. Some, with leftover money to spend, need the theatre.”

“My London theatres are run not-for-profit, and I’m in the middle of redoing the Drury Lane. An old building and you can’t stop in the middle. So we must keep an essential crew, like electricians, working. Paying everyone. Unions came to some arrangement. It’s a nightmare.” There's hardly a night in the last 50 years that Andrew Lloyd Webber has now had a show running in the West End or on Broadway. His new musical Cinderella due to open in August at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in London has been delayed until October. In the meantime, the Lord's #CompoerInIsolation series of videos orchestrated by his daughter Bella 23, has proven to be a huge hit. He's also agreed to stream some of his musicals for free online whilst the theatres are closed. When the theatres re-open though Phantom Of The Opera will definitely re-open on both sides of the Atlantic.