The ensemble is doing well, but an extra had a positive test result. The start of “Cinderella” has to be postponed, the employees go into self-isolation.
Andrew Lloyd Webber has canceled the start of his new musical ‘Cinderella’ in London, which was planned for this week.
The reason was a positive coronavirus case with an extras, which was found last weekend, the British composer announced on Monday via Twitter. He saw himself forced to make the ‘heartbreaking decision’ because of the rules on self-isolation for contact persons in England, said Webber. Although all contact persons within the ensemble were then tested negative, they now have to be in self-isolation.
In England, almost all corona measures were lifted on Monday. Webber and many other theater operators in London’s West End and beyond had longed for that day. For him, ‘Freedom Day’ has now become ‘Closure Day’, said Webber. The decision, which had to be made because of the government’s “rough instrument” in the form of self-isolation rules, will affect the “lives and livelihoods” of hundreds of people and disappoint thousands who have already bought tickets for the show, the composer added . The musical is to be shown at the Gillian Lynne Theater.
The massive increase in new infections while at the same time easing the corona measures is leading to more and more difficulties in England. Because hundreds of thousands of people have to go into self-isolation as contact persons, trains are canceled, shops are being closed and schools are taking their summer vacation early. Even Prime Minister Boris Johnson is currently in quarantine at his Checkers country estate.