ALW's Cinderella - Gillian Lynne / U.K. Tour (rumour)

It feels like a temper tantrum in the form of a press release. It is a ludicrous position to take to pull a production entirely because of a 10 day hiatus that he knew would be a possibility when he restarted work.

It is more petulance in his part.

That won’t happen - every work place will demand the same treatment and that is not financially viable when in a month fully vaccinated staff are exempt from isolation. 

Very little I can find in central London, other than Anna X at the Harold Pinter.

A few of the fringe venues and theatres outside central London have shows on. I've booked in for Lava at the Bush Theatre, but that's also sold out now. There's Out West at the Hammersmith Lyric and The Invisible Hand at the Kiln Theatre that I've spotted.

I wonder what show will be next for the Gillian Lynne?

Yes, today’s announcement from ALW was a surprise. But everyone take a depth breath please and think for a second about what’s really going on with this sudden closure, which from the way the ALW announcement reads may be permanent — at least as far as the London production of ALW’s “Cinderella” is concerned.

But whether or not that proves to be true, it appears that ALW is conveniently using Covid and the British government to keep the critics away from what was to have been tonight’s press opening. ALW is no dummy. He knows the show was in trouble. That has been clear from the first preview weeks ago. Tweaks and such have not substantively changed that fact. So canceling the press opening at least keeps negative publicity from potentially going more widespread than it already has.

That said, the question then becomes whether ALW is shuttering the show for a more prolonged period to try and fix it now or whether he has decided to wait until a new production can be mounted elsewhere. I have not seen the London production, but from all that I have read from others on this board, it sounds as if the necessary changes cannot realistically be done in a week or two weeks or even a month. So ALW perhaps understandably may have decided better to cut his losses now rather than postpone the opening for a few days and still face a slew of negative notices. Maybe he also has belatedly realized he needs a new director, which means the show would almost certainly need to shut down for a prolonged period, losing whatever momentum it may have had.

And “Cinderella” wouldn’t be the first show ALW has shuttered abruptly. Those with long memories may recall that ALW closed “Whistle Down The Wind” while it was doing a pre-Broadway tryout at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C. That show did make it to opening night in D.C. (I was there that evening), but shortly afterward ALW said it would not be going to Broadway. The show closed in D.C. and was never seen again until a version was mounted years later on the West End. I know that show had problems too, but like others I think it was one of ALW’s better scores. I cannot say the same about “Cinderella” though I have admittedly only heard it performed on the concept album.

So we all should know in a couple more days what exactly this “shuttering” of Cinderella is all about. In the meantime stay calm and let the true story come out. It will.

Six, Jamie, Joseph, Amelie, Les Misérables.

With a reduced band?

Thank god someone on here is sane!

The show is not closing for good. As if.

It’s not a conspiracy, it’s stupid COVID rules.

In other news, the earth is not flat.

He does a habit of doing that to the point where it loses its impact and instead of being concerned, you end up rolling your eyes.

I don't know if I agree with any of that.

I haven't seen it either, but the feedback on here from those who have has been generally that it's an above-average to good show, one of ALW's best in many, many years - with a few loves and few hates thrown in as usual, according to taste.

I don't think for a second they want to close it permanently. What possible benefit would it have for them? They have the theatre, the sets constructed and the show cast, rehearsed, previewed and on the eve of a press launch.

They lose money on refunding a huge box office advance, busy houses for shows they've cancelled, wages and all the overheads. Every night the theatre is dark, it is losing money. The only major financial loser in this is ALW and those working in and for the production. He is the last person in the country to want the show to have to cancel shows, let alone their press night in the big "theatre revival" post-Covid.

The point I am making was in reference to the language and terminology used in Lloyd Webber's statement, which implies more than a week or so closure.

If I was a betting man, my hunch is that it will remain closed until 16th August (assuming the govt keep that date and don't put it back) when Step 4 of the Road Map comes into play, hugely limiting existing risk of cancellation for the producer.

I hope it comes back sooner, of course.

None of the cast get paid:

I am so gutted for everyone involved. It’s an impossible situation.
Hoping to get rescheduled because I had some great seats for a great price!