Sleepless producer: 'Making Covid-secure musical is difficult and costly...but worth it'

The producer of Britain’s first full-scale indoor show since theatres went dark for lockdown has revealed the extraordinary lengths taken to make the performances safe.

Sleepless: A Romantic Musical had its press night yesterday at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, where it is on a five-week run. Producer Michael Rose said getting the show to opening night had been “difficult, challenging and costly” but could provide a blueprint for other venues in the Covid era.

All 60 members of the company are tested for coronavirus every morning in the foyer and have to wait for an hour before the results come through. The testing regime alone will cost up to £70,000. They must wear face coverings at all times except when on stage rehearsing or performing. All costumes, wigs and props are sterilised every day and the theatre gets a daily deep clean. On stage the actors are allowed to give “undistanced performances” although none are close to each other “for more than a couple of minutes at a time”.

At the emotional denouement, leads Jay McGuiness and Kimberley Walsh hold hands when they finally meet at the top of the Empire State Building.

Rose said: “They don’t embrace, he offers his hand and she takes it and they walk off stage — and then go straight to the soap dispensers before coming back for the big finale. In a way it’s the perfect socially distanced musical because they don’t actually meet until the last scene.”

The theatre’s capacity has been reduced from 1,300 to 400 and audience members are temperature-tested on arrival. Rose said the reduced capacity means the show can do no better than break even. He said: “It doesn’t make for short-term financial success but it will longer term and it shines a light in a very dark time for our industry.”