A THEATRE in Worcester are "working against all odds" to make sure theatre-goers are able to enjoy productions, despite the government guidelines in place and the judgement call that is still to be made on the June 21 lockdown lift.

The Swan Theatre in Worcester reopened last month under the new restrictions which means they have been able to operate with reduced capacities and socially distanced audiences. According to national reports, the impact of Covid-19 variant may mean theatres will have to abide by the rules for longer as officials remain concerned.

Sarah-Jane Morgan, chief executive at Worcester Live, said: " It is difficult for our patrons to plan ahead with the constant changes and uncertainty surrounding the government lifting of the restrictions on the 21st June and we working desperately hard to ensure we can offer opportunities for them to access the arts across our venues in a number of exciting ways this summer, including outdoor theatre at the Commandery and the first Worcester Fringe Festival, which will offer both indoor and outdoor opportunities to access the arts".

Whilst many venues have been unable to reopen due to the financial affects of operating at reduced capacities, the team at Worcester Live have managed to host many successful events.

She said: "We reopened the Swan Theatre under social distanced conditions on the 19th May 2021, we have had a number of really successful events with our patrons delighted to return to the venue they have been very complimentary and confident in the Covid measures we have put in place.

"The team at Worcester Live are working so hard to bring cultural opportunities to the city of Worcester, we hope there will be opportunities for everyone to engage this summer with our varied programming at the level that they feel comfortable to do so, that doesn’t always mean it is viable for us an organisation to do so, but we need to offer opportunities for those who wish to engage with the arts. It is so important in the road to recovery for our industry and the arts and cultural recovery of our city that we continue to work in this way"

The Swan theatre is a Covid secure venue with procedures such as temperature testing, socially distanced queuing systems and controlled auditorium exiting.