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With COVID-19 causing the indefinite closure of Britain’s playhouses, the pandemic has pushed London’s famed West End theaters to the brink, with approximately 2,700 job losses set to hit the capital.
But in spite of current pressures, veteran British actor Simon Callow said that as long as theater continued to fulfil fundamental human needs, there would always be a demand for live performances.
For the
Four Weddings and a Funeral
actor, "there's never going to be a time when people don't want to hear stories from people, the whites of whose eyes they can actually see."
But before they can do so, the British theater industry will have to tackle some serious challenges.
Theaters in London are set to see approximately 2,700 job losses. /Busa Photography / Getty Creative / VCG
Socially distanced audiences can currently enjoy outdoor performances, but indoor theaters remain closed to the British public until at least 15 August. And even then, many hit West End shows, such as
Les Miserables
and Hamilton,
will likely be postponed to 2021.
This is bad news for both theater fans and playhouse staff – despite a $2 billion government reliefpackageforthe arts, there have been 5,000 job losses at playhouses across the country.
However, for Callow, the star of
Amadeus
and doyen of the West End’s theaters, the sticking power of theater will hopefully let it ride out the pandemic.
"Theater started in caves in the far distant, almost prehistoric, past," the 71-year-old British actor told CGTN Europe’s
The Agenda with Stephen Cole
.
And for the thespian, the reason for its longevity remains unchanged: "It answers a very basic need, which is to have stories played out for you. There's nothing more compelling or attractive."
He added that the physical intimacy audiences can share with stage actors could never be fully replaced by television or film.
"We're engaged and connected and can interchange with each other," said the actor. "That's the glory of the theater."
In spite of COVID-19, Callow believes the immediacy and real-time drama of live performance will continue to draw fans to playhouses.
"What happens in the theater is present. It's now," said the actor. "It's something that proves to ourselves that we're alive."
