Despite Boris Johnson including theatres and concert halls in the next stage of lockdown measures being eased, three of Nottingham's biggest won't be throwing open their doors again on July 4.
The Royal Concert Hall, Theatre Royal and Nottingham Playhouse, which closed in March, can re-open for business along with pubs, restaurants, bars, cinemas and bingo halls but with a significant catch - no live performances are alllowed.
All that is permitted is screenings of films or recorded shows.
Even if live theatre, comedy, dance or music was allowed, it would still not work, so says Jonathan Saville, director of audiences and programming at the Royal Concert Hall and Theatre Royal.
"At present, with social distancing still in place, we could fill less than 35% of the seats as a maximum - which virtually makes every show financially unviable," he told Nottinghamshire Live.
"We won’t be opening the building on July 4. We have no idea when we will be able to open the doors again.
"Social distancing makes large scale theatre unworkable so we continue to wait for guidance from the government."
He said a "significant" number of staff at both venues are furloughed. Among those who remain - working from home - are the ticket sales team.
"They are doing an amazing job of refunding and rescheduling customers for shows that will not take place during this situation."
There are staff involved in essential building maintenance who remain on-site but the rest will continue working remotely until September, at least.
Award -winning film, TV and stage actress Dame Judi Dench has expressed her concerns for UK theatre, believing that some major theatres will not reopen in her lifetime.
The 85-year-old told Channel 4 News: "When you hear that The Old Vic is in trouble, when you hear that the Nuffield in Southampton is in trouble, and Leicester and Nottingham... it's a desperate feeling.
"And when will they ever open again? I don't know, certainly, I'm sure, not in my lifetime.
"I can't see how it's going to recover."
Although the actress didn't specify which Nottingham theatre she was referring to, a spokesman for Nottingham Playhouse said: "Judi Dench has a particular relationship with the theatre, having worked there a lot in the sixties so it was one of the venues uppermost in her mind."
Confirming that they would not re-open on July 4, he added: "Nottingham Playhouse is no more at risk than any other UK theatre."
