'To be, or not to be?' – UK's theater industry faces difficult recovery

"To be, or not to be?" – the famous line in Shakespeare's classic play "Hamlet" has become a real dilemma faced by the British theater industry. As the entertainment industry adopted the government's guidance aimed at trying to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, British cinema chains, theaters and art venues have closed their doors since March.  

The pandemic prompts major British theaters to close doors

Some of London's most popular performance spaces, including the O2 arena, the Royal Opera House, Shakespeare's Globe and National theaters as well as the nearly 150-year old Royal Albert Hall brought their curtains down – theaters saw their income vanish overnight when they locked down. 

"We're not a sector with lower income, we're a sector with no income," Julian Bird, chief executive of Society of London Theatre (SOLT) and UK Theater told the Financial Times. Bird also added that by the end of the year, 70 percent of theaters will run out of cash, including larger venues.

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