Andrew Lloyd Webber’s anticipated new musical Cinderella will finally open next month.
Cinderella at the Gillian Lynne Theatre will resume next month on Wednesday 18 August before the opening night will take place on Wednesday 25 August.
The news comes after the show - a new take on the classic tale - was forced to close due to Covid.
The new West End show stars Carrie Hope Fletcher. It was written by Oscar-winning writer Emerald Fennell who is behind hit movie Promising Young Woman.
Over the weekend, a member of the cast tested positive and both of the shows on Saturday were cancelled.
Then the show’s opening night - set for Freedom Day when all restrictions were lifted on Monday July 19 - was also cancelled hours before the show was set to open.
“Today, on this ‘Freedom Day’, I have been forced to take the heart-breaking decision not to open my Cinderella,” Lloyd Webber wrote.
“My sadness for our cast and crew, our loyal audience and the industry I have been fighting for is impossible to put into words. Freedom Day has turned into closure day.”
Speaking at the Gillian Lynne Theatre on Monday, the composer continued: “We cannot function with this current system.
“We can’t isolate every time somebody may or may not have it. It just simply doesn’t work.
“I say this from the heart, I am seeing the profession I have loved, I’m seeing musical theatre I think I had a small part in pioneering in this country at a time when frankly the British were not considered to be people who could do musicals.
“And I am just saying it with passion – please, please will this Government for once listen to us. Listen. We do know what we’re doing, we do. Just listen and knock all these platitudes and endless, endless blunt instruments that don’t apply across the board.”
Lord Lloyd-Webber said “I have tried and I have tried and I have tried” to work with the Government and prove theatres are safe.
He said the Gillian Lynne has “100 per cent fresh air” and the “best ventilation system you can find”.
He added: “We can’t go on like this, theatre is now on its knees, there’s no way forward.”
