The Week in Light & Sound
- Details
Prime minister Boris Johnson announced last week that Plan B measures - including mandatory mask wearing in theatres - would be lifted this week. Following his announcement, numerous theatres have said that they plan to continue requesting face coverings inside their venues.
Sheffield Theatres said it had taken the decision to continue with mandatory face coverings beyond 27 January, with this decision reviewed every two weeks in light of the number of cases locally.
“Since the theatres reopened last summer we have been encouraging audiences to wear masks during their visit. We took the decision to introduce mandatory face coverings before Plan B in early December and this remains an important part of our measures to protect staff, cast and audiences,” it said, adding there would be exceptions for those who are exempt from wearing face coverings, those under 12 years of age, and when people are eating or drinking in the building.
The Mayflower in Southampton also said it would be continuing to ask audience members to wear masks. “As the wearing of face coverings is not mandatory, our staff will not confront members of the audience who do not comply. The government guidance is clear that people are advised to wear face coverings in enclosed or crowded spaces," it said.
Not Ready - Adele postponed her entire Las Vegas residency, just 24 hours before the opening night. "I'm so sorry, but my show ain't ready," the star told fans in a tearful update on Instagram. "Half my team have COVID and it's been impossible to finish the show," she said, adding that "delivery delays" had also played havoc with her plans. She was due to play the first of 24 concerts at the Caesars Palace's Colosseum on Friday. Announced late in November, the Weekends With Adele series was scheduled to have the singer performing two shows every weekend until April. They would have been her first live concerts in five years. Along with two dates in London's Hyde Park this summer, they are the only shows she has announced to promote her fourth album, 30.
Old Gold - Bob Dylan has sold the master recordings to his entire back catalogue to Sony Music, in the industry's latest blockbuster music acquisition. The deal includes everything from classic 1960s albums like Blonde On Blonde, up to his latest release, 2020's Rough And Rowdy Ways. Billboard magazine says the catalogue is worth about $200m (£149m), based on annual revenues of roughly $16m (£12m). Dylan previously sold his publishing to Universal Music for a reported $400m.
Bestival Grows - Fat Boy Slim, Rag 'n' Bone Man and Becky Hill will headline a new festival on the Shropshire and Staffordshire border from Camp Bestival's organisers. Camp Bestival started in 2008 at Lulworth Castle, Dorset, and will expand to a second, ‘sister’ event in Weston Park between 18 and 21 August. The site used to be the home of the V Festival until Virgin announced in October 2017 it would no longer sponsor the event after 22 years. The Proclaimers, EMF, Heather Small, Scouting for Girls and Shed Seven are also due to perform.
Manic Move - Manic Street Preachers are to perform an outdoor show in Cambridgeshire this summer. The rock band will head to Peterborough Embankment on Sunday, 12 June. In September, the Welsh band celebrated their first number one album in 23 years - The Ultra Vivid Lament was the group's 14th studio album.
(Jim Evans)
25 January 2022
