May 18 2021 is a date that many of us will not forget - the day that theatres finally reopened after 14 months of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, our very own plague. It’s not the first time that plague has shut theatres. They were locked for 14 months too from 1592 when Shakespeare’s Henry VI plays were on at the Rose. And from 1603-1613, the Globe and other theatres were closed for nearly seven years because of pestilence.

Fortunately, we have jabs and a roadmap out of lockdown so hopefully theatres won’t face a similar nightmare closure again. However, the past 14 months have changed everything. Theatres are now open with a majorly reduced audience capacity amid stringent safety precautions including social distancing, temperature checks, use of Track & Trace, sanitisers and face masks.

So, what is it like to be physically back in theatres again? Two of our much-loved pub theatres the Lion and Unicorn in Kentish Town and the White Bear in Kennington relaunched this week. It has been a relief, but with some reservations, for artistic directors David Brady of Proforca, L&U’s resident company, and Michael Kingsbury of the White Bear.

“The good news is that it’s been full,” said Kinsgbury, whose 50-seater White Bear is running at 45 per cent capacity. “Audiences seem fine and it’s all very safe and well run. It reinforces the thing that no cases of Covid have been found in a theatre.” Social distancing is there to reassure audiences and pub and theatre staff alike. “It’s about instilling confidence,” Kingsbury adds. “People are much less likely to pick up Covid than in shops.”

Brady said: “Without question, social distancing and pub theatre are not designed to go together, and the thought of having to reduce the auditorium from 60 to 20 every night was one of the hardest things to come to terms with.

“That being said now, each performance feels like a more ‘boutique’ experience for our audiences, and they’ve generally been so brilliant and receptive to the work, even if it means putting on a mask and not touching someone else.

“I have made a small promise to myself though that the day they cancel social distancing, I’m having myself a small bonfire of all the paraphernalia, and you’re all invited.”

Kingsbury said lockdown was tough but it was also a time to reflect and make improvements. The White Bear reopened with David Harrold’s Villain in Tinseltown, with Jonathan Hansler playing Hollywood cad George Sanders. Kingsbury is looking forward to directing June’s production of Take Off Your Cornflakes, a bitter-sweet tale about Alzheimer’s starring Mark Lockyer.  Swimming Alex Bower’s coming out tale, is pencilled in for the autumn. The White Bear is also continuing its tradition of supporting new writing and has plans for longer runs.

For Brady lockdown was a time to “hunker down, pull our community together and reschedule shows wherever possible, create new work, and support as many people as we can during this difficult time.

“I have to say that we couldn’t have got through the last few months without the support of Phil who runs the Lion & Unicorn and the brilliant team at Youngs who are our landlords who have properly looked after us, and we’ll always be grateful for that support. Please do support the pubs that we sit above – we can’t make the work without them.” 

Brady decided to reopen with Profroca’s AAAAA (FiveA) as he was concerned that any last-minute Covid setbacks could cause problems for visiting companies. AAAAA (FiveA) was supposed to have been on when theatres were told they could reopen last August, but a rise in Covid cases then put an end to that. Brady said he was glad to be back with his theatre family, is looking forward to welcoming new companies and there are plans for a follow up to Proforca’s highly-rated 2019 production of dystopian chiller At Last.

The plan is to leave lockdown on June 21 which should make life easier for theatres, but both men have mixed feelings. “There’s plenty to look forward to,” said Kingsbury but regarding Covid “there’s the question, the hope that it doesn’t build in a way we don’t know. But there’s huge shows in the West End, and there’s tours. It brings positive energy. People just want to get going.”

Brady is also looking forward to June 21. But after last year’s shows being off, on and off again he is wary. “I just want Boris to keep quiet for the next couple of weeks.”

Fingers crossed.

AN ACTOR’S VIEWPOINT

"As long as someone is listening to their story they'll be delighted."

What will it be like for actors to perform now when a full house is going to be far smaller than normal? LPT reviewer, playwright, director and actor Richard Braine has some ideas.

“On the whole I don't think actors mind if the audience is small or enormous. However, I was doing a two-hander about gardening on the Edinburgh Fringe some years ago. The audience consisted of David Baddiel, Frank Skinner and a dog. The piece had a lot of audience participation. Skinner and Baddiel seemed to find the piece lacking in humour whereas the dog found it hilarious, judging by his delightful barking throughout. It was one of the longest hours I have ever spent in the theatre.

It was at this 'Edinburgh' that I went to see a one person show about a woman dying. I was the only one in the audience. The actor beckoned me to join her on stage and sit beside her hospital bed. She then proceeded to do the whole show directly for me. Including her dying at the end. I closed her eyes.

Going from one extreme..... I performed in The 39 Steps at the Bradford Alhambra. There were four actors. The theatre was full, so was over 2,000 people strong. During the show a member of the audience jumped on to the stage. The theatre thought it was all part of the show. The audience member wouldn't go back so followed us around for the rest of the show. The whole thing got sillier and sillier until we all collapsed in laughter. What anyone made of the whole piece I’ll never know. What John Buchan would have made of it?

So, on the whole, I think actors will be delighted just to have the chance to act again. No matter how many is in the audience. As long as someone is listening to their story they'll be delighted - even if it is a dog.”

What is it like to be a member of an audience now with all the restrictions?

I was as excited as a small child at Christmas – no, I haven’t gone out much in the pandemic – when I went to the reopening this week of the Lion & Unicorn in Kentish Town and the White Bear in Kennington. Both pubs and theatres take their Covid security very seriously, obviously, and entry is similar in each.

I checked in masked at the door with my NHS Track & Trace app and was met by a masked greeter. I had not booked a table at either venue but was found one in both cases, despite them being busy. I sat outside at the Lion, which has a one-way system, and inside at the Bear. Masked waiting staff took my order and I was allowed to unmask. When the bell went I remasked and checked in again at the Lion theatre.

There was no queueing at both venues, probably due to reduced house capacity, and I was guided to my seat by masked staff. I sat socially distanced throughout the performance and at the Lion we left by the fire exit to keep the one-way system. No drinks were allowed in the Lion auditorium. There was plenty of sanitiser at the venues.

The experience is, of course, very different from what we were used to. One of the joys of pub theatre for me is being close up with an audience in a small, dark space where you can see the whites of the actors’ eyes. Now we are masked and socially distanced. I thought small houses might make a difference to audience response but, if anything, people seemed more engaged in the performances I went to. That’s because they were excellent, but it also seemed like people were just happy to be back watching live theatre after such a long break.

I thought wearing the mask for a long time might be irritating but I was drawn in by what I was watching and forgot about it. It might be a test to sit through three hours of Shakespeare (or a bad performance) but an hour or so was fine. I wonder if mask wearing might be something that reduces production run time for theatres.



I felt safe in the venues, but that’s also because I have had my jabs. The time of standing at a bar before or after a performance has gone with people having to book tables, and despite my experiment not to book and see how the pubs reacted, booking is best to guarantee a seat.

So, we’re back, and it’s different but I don’t think anyone should be put off going to pub theatre because of the new rules. Pubs and theatres need our support after the disastrous past 14 months and to be honest, I feel more at risk in a supermarket.