The pandemic has had a devastating impact on the theatre industry, with the cultural heart of London closed for over a year. In line with the government roadmap, theatres will be allowed to reopen from 17 May with social distancing – and from 21 June, shows will be able to perform to full audiences.
To herald theatre’s return, The Society of London Theatre (SOLT) has launched an industry-wide Outdoor advertising campaign celebrating theatres reopening with Global, the Media and Entertainment group. This forms part of SOLT’s #BackOnStage campaign, launching today (17 May).
More than 40 London shows and theatres reopening over the summer and early autumn will be showcased across Global’s advertising sites throughout zones 1 – 2 on the London Underground.
The advertising campaign will also feature poignant images captured from theatre wings, showing the unique sense of anticipation and excitement that a live show brings. The image used on the escalator panels is a photograph by Matt Humphrey from his Curtain Call series.
As part of #BackOnStage, SOLT is also asking shows, venues and theatre fans across the country to use the hashtag to share the magical moments from their first post-lockdown live theatre experience.
Emma De Souza, Head of Marketing and Communications for SOLT, said: “Theatres cannot reopen without audiences, and the industry is hugely grateful for theatre lovers who are buying tickets in advance for their favourite West End shows. As each stage of the roadmap is met and audience confidence grows, we’re thrilled to launch this campaign, which has been a true collaboration with the marketing and advertising industry to celebrate the reopening of our theatres.”
Last week, Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, launched his new ‘Let’s Do London’ campaign, bringing together partners from across the arts, hospitality and leisure to encourage Londoners and domestic visitors back into central London and promote the capital’s cultural offering. The theatre industry is a huge part of this, with SOLT backing the campaign alongside other theatre organisations including the National Theatre and Shakespeare’s Globe.
The #BackOnStage campaign will be underpinned by the industry-wide See It Safely mark, displayed by theatres to assure audiences they are Covid-secure and operating in line with the latest Government guidance for live arts events.
To encourage audiences to book, our ‘Book with Confidence, Exchange with Ease’ pledge offers unprecedented flexibility, allowing ticketholders to exchange their tickets up to 24 hours before a performance if they are unable to attend due to Covid.
