Reviewer’s fears for future of theatre - The Worcester Observer

Reviewer’s fears for future of theatre

Worcester Editorial 27th Mar, 2020   0

A WORCESTERSHIRE writer, producer and director who has been reviewing shows across the Midlands for many years fears the COVID-19 closures will have a devastating impact on theatres across the country.

Euan Rose said the shutting of auditorium doors everywhere has left many people in an already precarious profession out of jobs for the foreseeable future.

He is concerned some resident and touring actors and creatives may never work again as some theatres do not have the funds to survive being dark for very long.

And he said there was a string of other jobs affected, including teams which ran and marketed the venues.




“In my task as a director, I always spent some time in a dark auditorium taking in the silent energy.

“I always found it deafening as the ghosts of productions past swirled around my head.


“They will certainly be in turmoil now – ‘We stayed open through two world wars’, they’ll cry.

“But this tragedy is not just about the professional jobs lost – it’s also about the devastation unleashed on amateur and community theatre.”

With drama and musical societies – a classless, all-inclusive hobby enjoyed by thousands of participants – as well hit hard he said described the social toll which would be taken as ‘huge’.

“There is a saying amongst us theatre types that sums things up why we do what we do – ‘Tell me and I’ll forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I’ll understand

“Without anything to review for the foreseeable future I’d like to offer my thanks to all those wonderful thespians who have entertained, irritated and elated me during my time as a reviewer and hope we are reunited very soon.”

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