'Come to the theatre and arrest us,' says Andrew Lloyd Webber
Posted at 11am UK time
Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber says his theatres will open later this month whether the Government sticks to its lockdown roadmap or not. If the Government demands a delay to the reopening, ‘we will say: come to the theatre and arrest us’.
This is exactly what we need – more business owners and cultural figures to defy the Government’s extended madness. To say ‘enough is enough’ and to force our return to normality. (It’s increasingly clear that this isn’t just going to be handed to us on a plate.)
The most telling line in The Daily Telegraph’s interview with Mr Lloyd Webber (whose brother, the extremely talented cellist Julian Lloyd Webber, I was lucky enough to meet in Birmingham before I was told to stay in my home) is this one:
'Unfortunately… the Government regards theatre as a nice thing to have rather than a necessity.’
This, for me, sums the whole sordid affair up. For the past 14 (almost 15!) months, the Government (aided by its chums in the media) has focussed on nothing but Covid. As well as ignoring the plight of education, employment, and, ironically, life-threatening diseases (especially cancer), the Government has effectively ignored the damage done by lockdown to mental health. An aspect of this has been the closing of areas where people socialise and enjoy life – theatres and, of course, pubs and restaurants, to name but a few.
Many people (especially those who live alone) believe that a life without live entertainment is a life not worth living. I completely understand where these people are coming from (I might even agree) – but the Government has no idea. And so we press on.
