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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
John Dunne

Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber threatens legal action over delay to full reopening

The composer and impresario said a delay in England’s reopening could be “the final death blow”

(Picture: PA Wire)

Lord Lloyd-Webber has raised the prospect of taking legal action against the Government if theatres are not allowed to reopen at full capacity from June 21.

The composer and impresario said a delay in England’s reopening could prove to be “the final death blow” for the beleaguered sector.

While indoor entertainment venues were able to reopen from last month at reduced capacity, the restrictions meant it was not financially viable for many theatres. There are doubts surrounding the June 21 full reopening amid concerns over the impact of Covid variants.

Lord Lloyd-Webber told the Daily Mail if theatres are blocked from a full reopening, the issue becomes “what is the legality of the whole thing?”

He said: “If the Government’s own science has told them that buildings are safe, I’m advised that at that point things could get quite difficult. This is the very last thing that anybody wants to do, but there would become a legal case at that point because it’s their science — not ours.”

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