RSC postpones planned 2020 performances and cancels Barbican run in London

The Royal Shakespeare Company has cancelled all of its future performances until the end of 2020 due to the ongoing pandemic.

According to the Stratford-upon-Avon venue, the autumn season, composed of the two The War of the Roses plays and new musical The Magician's Elephant, will now play in 2021.

The company's London residency at the Barbican for this autumn has been completely cancelled, as has the venue's RSC Summer School. The hit RSC musical Matilda in London will remain closed in line with West End shows.

Two of the venue's spring season productions, The Winter's Tale and The Comedy of Errors, will be presented in Stratford this autumn if it is possible to do so, with the venue saying that this "is dependent on government advice on social distancing and whether it is financially viable for the Company to open its theatres and perform to audiences."

In a statement executive director Catherine Mallyon and artistic director Gregory Doran said: "We're in the process of rescheduling our 2020 Winter Season, moving it from this year to 2021, whilst hoping there may be a possibility of reopening this autumn in Stratford-upon-Avon in some form. This would ideally be with our delayed summer schedule.

"Sadly, moving our Summer Season means we have had to take the difficult decision to cancel our Barbican residency this autumn. We are sorry to be unable to share our work with London audiences in 2020 and look forward to returning to the Barbican with some exciting plans for our season there in 2021"