Leading figures from the arts industry have called on the Government for help during the coronavirus lockdown.
It follows the Prime Minister’s advice for Britons to avoid public gatherings including pubs, theatres and restaurants.
Bosses fear without a direct government ordered shutdown they will be unable to claim insurance payouts and be left facing financial ruin.
Playwright James Graham, whose dramas include The Quiz about the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? cheating scandal, said the Prime Minister’s advice could save lives but also put livelihoods at risk.
He said: “You’ve told people to stay away from our industry but not shut it down.
“No shutdown no insurance, no insurance no survival. Give us a fighting chance.”
Playwright Lucy Prebble, whose play The Effect was due to open at the Boulevard Theatre next week, described the move as "a dereliction of duty" by "pass[ing] on the decision to confused small business owners, performers and consumers".
The National Campaign for the Arts said the creative industries needed “a clear directive and real support” and that an informal closure “may put the whole sector at risk”.
In a statement post on Twitter, its chair Samuel West stressed how vital the arts would be over the coming months, when "people need inspiration, solace and joy".
Despite the confusion about government advice, artistic directors from across London's theatre scene took to Twitter to express solidarity with those across the industry.
Kwame Kwei-Armah, who runs the Young Vic theatre, tweeted simply: "This is a time of #ADRealness."
After Gary Lineker expressed support for the Royal Court Theatre, artistic director Vicky Featherstone took the opportunity to make a tongue-in-cheek request: "Do you know any rich theatre-loving footballers who can help us out in the future..."
Battersea Arts Centre's Tarek Iskander looked back to the venue's devastating fire in 2015 as a reminder of the industry's resilience.
He tweeted: "We all have examples of things that felt devastating, insurmountable and made us feel frightened... But by working together and supporting each other, absolutely everything can be rebuilt. Sometimes, even more beautiful than before."
