“Government decisions have finalized the decision for us”

The cultural sector and particularly the performing arts is once again particularly affected by the Covid-19 health crisis: a meeting is also scheduled for Thursday, January 6 in the morning in Bercy with professionals. Indeed, cancellations and postponements of performances of concerts or plays follow one another and some people prefer to throw in the towel as a preventive measure. So, two weeks before the performances, the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris decided to cancel The Messiah, Handel’s opera which was to be performed six times from January 19 to 29. Too many risks, according to its director, Thomas Lauriot said Prévost, who prefers to anticipate: “It’s a production that mobilizes a very, very large number of artists, he explains. We have almost 200 speakers on the set, between artists and technicians. We are in a very promiscuous team … “

“It seemed to us that we had to ensure the safety of all the teams. This is the reason that led us to cancel the performances.”

Thomas Lauriot aka Prévost

to franceinfo

For other theaters, it is economic reasons that push to cancel. Because due to the return of the gauges, with 2,000 people maximum indoors, the equation does not hold for some rooms.

In Boulogne-Billancourt, Seine Musicale has thus decided to postpone the Romeo and Juliet by choreographer Benjamin Millepied which was to be performed in January. This is the fourth postponement for this show. “We already had a lot of concerns before the end of the year holidays, but there, government decisions have finally decided things for us, sighs Olivier Haber, the director of Seine Musicale. Today it is absolutely impossible to keep a show in a gauge of less than 2,000 people. “

“To balance a show like this, you have to reach at least 70% filling, that is to say that we have to be at least between 3,000 and 3,500 people on average per show.”

Olivier Haber, director of Seine Musicale

to franceinfo

These cancellations and postponements obviously have a cost for the theaters. Between loss of ticket office (because spectators have to be reimbursed), contracts to be honored (the Châtelet for example will have to pay the artists who will not play) and costs already incurred, the bill can be heavy.

“We have irrecoverable costs, that is to say the marketing costs and the technical costs already incurred, emphasizes Olivier Haber by returning to the cancellation ofe Romeo and Juliet. The decision was made at the very end of December and the first performance was scheduled to take place on January 13. It’s a company that lives in Los Angeles, so the plane tickets were taken for January 4th. All of this is lost, of course. ” Remember that insurance does not cover losses due to Covid, which leads some theater directors to wonder about the future of big productions as long as the virus continues to circulate.