Beverley Knight

Andrew Lloyd Webber taps Beverley Knight for London Palladium 'pilot' concert

The award-winning West End star will perform on Thursday as part of an initiative by the government and Andrew Lloyd Webber to get theatres open.

Beverley Knight, the celebrated English recording artist and West End star, will perform a concert on Thursday 23 July at 2pm at the London Palladium. The 'pilot' show, part of an initiative by the government and the theatre's owner Andrew Lloyd Webber, will incorporate a series of measures designed to demonstrate how theatres may fully reopen following the extended Covid-19 closure.

All tickets for the concert have been allocated.

For the performance, audience members will be socially distanced, while health and safety measures including enhanced cleaning, temperature checks, in-seat service at interval and cashless systems will all be in place. Additionally all tickets will be digital and hand sanitiser stations will be available throughout the theatre.

The test comes following last week's announcement that indoor theatres would be permitted to reopen from 1 August as long as they adhere to social distancing guidelines.

Outdoor theatres have been permitted to open since 11 July, with several including Regent's Park Open Air Theatre moving swiftly to confirm summer performances.

Currently the only West End production to confirm plans to reopen with social distancing is The Mousetrap which is set to resume performances on 23 October.

Beverley Knight is no stranger to the London Palladium, having performed in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Cats in summer 2018. She also appeared theatre as a part of BBC Radio 2's popular Friday Night is Music Night series in 2019.

As well as being one of the UK's most popular and celebrated soul singers, Knight has performed in West End musicals including The Bodyguard and Memphis, as well as Sylvia at The Old Vic. She is due to star in the new musical The Drifters Girl, which is due to open at the Garrick Theatre in October 2020.

As part of the 2006 Queen's Birthday Honours, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to music.

 

Originally published on

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