2020 Tonic Awards postponed from 23 March

The Tonic Awards 2020, due to be held on 23 March at The May Fair Theatre, have been postponed.

The organisers have issued the following statement: "We have decided to postpone the 2020 Tonic Awards on Monday 23 March. Central to Tonic's mission is a commitment to working in a way that is as inclusive as possible. Going ahead with an event which some of our awardees, presenters and guests may have felt unable to attend, simply didn't feel in keeping with our ethos. Furthermore, we've questioned whether bringing 200 people into close proximity is a responsible thing to do, especially given that there is nothing time sensitive about the Tonic Awards: celebrating later in the year, when everyone can join us and things are hopefully on a more even keel, feels the right and appropriate decision."

The awards celebrate the achievements of game-changing women, projects and productions that redefine the role of women in theatre and the performing arts both on and off stage. Gaylene Gould was recently announced as the 2020 awards host.

Established in 2011, Tonic is an independent organisation and charity that works with the UK's leading performing arts organisations to achieve greater equality in their work and their workforces. WhatsOnStage COO Sita McIntosh chairs the board of trustees, which also includes playwright Moira Buffini, executive director of Theatre Royal Stratford East Eleanor Lang and Woman's Hour radio producer Kirsty Starkey.