Final curtain for Covid restrictions
The CEO of The Everyman is eyeing a full capacity panto this Christmas following the Government’s latest announcements regarding Covid-19 restrictions.
On Tuesday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed the last leg of Ireland’s roadmap out of lockdown with 22 October set as the date for the end of all legal restrictions.
In the meantime, as of 6 September, the public can finally enjoy indoor entertainment such as live music, cinemas and theatres at 60 per cent capacity, as well as increased numbers at outdoor sporting events. Speaking to the Cork Independent, CEO of The Everyman Sean Kelly said there is huge relief amongst his team after going so long without box office takings.
“It has been absolutely crippling for our business to not be able to sell tickets for so long.”
Mr Kelly said: “There have obviously been Government subsidies and being able to sell streaming events but it doesn’t make up for the shortfall, nor is it as satisfying for artists.”
The Everyman, which relies on box office takings for 90 per cent of its income, has a capacity of 650 normally, meaning it can soon welcome 390 audience members back through its doors.
“That’s a good start. For so long we weren’t able to admit anybody at all, so 60 per cent seems like an awful lot of people to us right now. It would be lovely to have a panto at Christmas at full capacity,” he said.
However, as has been the case throughout the pandemic, specific guidelines as to how businesses must operate have yet to be clarified by the Government.
“The general issue was addressed last night but as to how specifically it will work in theatres in terms of queuing, group sizes, number of households in a group, and seat spacing is yet to be clarified,” said Mr Kelly.
He added: “But we have something to work towards which is what the entire sector was crying out for all along.”
Where many sectors including, the hospitality sector, have struggled to retain and attract staff, Mr Kelly says the Everyman has managed to keep most of its employees.
“We retained almost all of our staff throughout the pandemic so we haven’t had any issues. In fact we’ve recruited some new people. Our team is ready and people will be back in the building doing all our drills and making sure our systems are working long before any audience is in,” he said.
The Everyman plans to open its doors on 22 September with the brand new play ‘Heart of a Dog’, a large-scale, contemporary drama funded by the Arts Council.
Also welcoming the news was Cork theatre producer Patrick Talbot who said the opportunity to go back to shows will in itself be a huge indicator that a return to full normality is “within our grasp at long last”.
“Covid-19 brought our industry to its knees for over 18 months. Theatre is uniquely live and it is invigorating for the actors and the production team to know that the act of theatre, which is about dramatic characters interacting with audiences in the same room, can resume,” he said.
Other changes to come about in September include the resumption of wedding entertainment, the return of workers to offices, after school activities, and religious ceremonies such as communion and confirmation.
Following Tuesday’s announcement, Small Firms Association (SFA) Director Sven Spollen Behrens said: “We welcome the move to begin winding up of all Covid-19 restrictions as we move to a highly vaccinated society, most importantly small business owners will have clarity around transitioning back to office-based work safely.”
A full breakdown of the Covid-19 roadmap can be found on gov.ie.