It wasn't a constitutional crisis that led to the cancellation of The Dismissal: An Extremely Serious Musial Comedy.
It was COVID-19.
The new Australian musical, a co-production of the Sydney Theatre Company and the Canberra Theatre, and based on the political events of 1975, was scheduled to begin rehearsals in Sydney later in August before opening in October at the Canberra Theatre Centre and going on to a season in Sydney.
But the coronavirus dictated that it wasn't time.
Canberra Theatre director Alex Budd said the decision was disappointing, after seeing so many people return to the theatre this year in Canberra.
"Lost employment for artists and arts workers on The Dismissal is considerable, and the long-reaching and lasting impact of this pandemic on our industry cannot be overstated," he said.
"The curtain can't come down on Covid fast enough."
Sydney Theatre Company's artistic director, Kip Williams staging a musical was more or less impossible given the current Sydney lockdowns.
Ticket holders will be contacted about refunds.
