THE artistic director for Worcester Live has cautiously welcomed the government’s announcement live indoor theatre and concerts can resume next month with socially distanced audiences.

But Ben Humphries says it will be difficult to see performances at The Swan Theatre back before he leaves the role at the end of the month.

On Friday Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced indoor performances with socially-distanced audiences in theatres, music and performance venues would be allowed from August 1, subject to the success of pilots.

The union Bectu said venues will not be ready to reopen in a fortnight, comments which were echoed by Mr Humphries pointing out it can often take months for a production company and its performers to be ready.

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Mr Humphries said: “If you are allowed to open with social distance in place, is it even financially viable?

"It is not just our industry, others have had to think about that.

"The government has only just made the announcement, we don’t know what sort of criteria you would have to have in place to open.

"But any step is welcome, the devil always is in the detail though.”

In the Downing Street press conference on Friday the PM also announced all close contact services such as beauticians would also be allowed from next month.

And bowling, skating rinks and casinos have been allowed to open from August 1.

The bowling announcement will come as good news for Worcester Bowl in St John’s, which earlier this week had launched the Bring Back Bowling campaign saying it would be “Covid secure”.

Meanwhile, in a further government announcement, Mr Johnson confirmed there will an additional £3 billion in funding for the NHS to help it prepare for a potential second wave of infections, and to cope with its usual winter pressures.

An expansion in testing capacity to a target of 500,000 tests a day by the end of October was announced, as well as local authorities being given new powers to close premises, close off public outdoors spaces and cancel events in the event of coronavirus outbreaks.

Those powers come into effect today.