Cameron Mackintosh, one of the biggest names in British theater, has said that stage productions in the West End and on Broadway are unlikely to open until 2021. "For major producers both sides of the Atlantic, the truth is until social distancing doesn't exist anymore, we can't even plan to reopen," he said in an interview on BBC Radio 2 on Sunday.
Theaters were among the first businesses to close in the U.K. when the coronavirus pandemic began to spread in March, but Mackintosh — who owns a number of theaters and has been behind numerous successful musicals, including Cats and Les Miserables— said that they're also likely to be among the last businesses to reopen. "We will be back, but we need time to get back," he said. "If we don't hear.