New Diorama Theatre set to remain closed until 2021

The New Diorama Theatre in central London has announced that it plans to remain closed until 2021.

The theatre said yesterday that: "since lockdown began, we've gifted two-thirds of our reserves to artists through no-strings attached grants, ensuring that when we come back we've still got theatre to fill our stage".

Like so many other spaces across the UK, the theatre is having to close its doors while uncertainty remains about when exactly performances may be able to commence again without social distancing.

You can see the New Diorama's statement here:

UPDATE! It's with heavy hearts that we're going to go quiet on here from next week.

As a theatre dedicated to supporting others, it's hard to ask help for ourselves. If you want to help us come back and better, please donate here: https://t.co/aD0HxFucsO

Goodbye for now... pic.twitter.com/jdofg6AneL

— New Diorama Theatre (@newdiorama) August 4, 2020

The venue has also committed to paying freelancers and cast members throughout the pandemic. A vital platform for hundreds of emerging artists creating some of the most commended contemporary work of the last decade, a number of companies have written tributes to the theatre while it remains closed.

The night before Operation Mincemeat opened, @mrdavebyrne and @HelenMatravers stayed up with us until 1am talking through the show, holding our shaking hands, and the next morning they were in before us, repainting our set. Just impossible to imagine better people. https://t.co/unqwl7RUA1

— SpitLip (@spitlip) August 5, 2020

david byrne gave civilisation £2000 no strings attached when no other org would financially support us. he & NDT gained nothing. that money his support is the reason civilisation got to edinburgh after 3 yrs of failed pitches/work deemed risky. no one like him, eternally grateful https://t.co/4KZdMUxBDJ

— Jaz Woodcock-Stewart (@JazWoodStew) August 4, 2020

david byrne gave yynn £1.5k when we were in really dire financial straits at start of a tour. On the advice of a friend I just emailed him (show was nothing to do with NDT) he called the next morning asking what he could do to help. And then gave us money. I literally cried. https://t.co/ddGm5W9ECH

— YESYESNONO (@yesyesnonotheat) August 4, 2020

David Byrne knew Skin A Cat had 5 failed ACE applications behind it and wasn't going to be able to tour, offered to help on the next one, and straight up paid an apps expert to work on it. Didn't tell me. I only found out a year later from someone unrelated. And we got the £. https://t.co/BbHVm6Y9Wa

— Bankability Lynn (@IsleyLynn) August 5, 2020

David Byrne heard that agents weren't responding to my emails and none had been in to see the show. So he spent the afternoon personally phoning up agencies to tell them about me. https://t.co/8XJiDWjSxJ

— Jak Malone (@JakMalonee) August 5, 2020

You can donate to the theatre here while it remains closed.