Specific ban on comedians after lockdown is loosened

Comedy shows are still not allowed in pubs or bars despite the latest lockdown restrictions, the government has confirmed.

Although bars were yesterday given the green light to open from July 4, they must adhere to rules to reduce the risk of spreading the Covid-19 virus.

Those restrictions have now been published in an official document, which runs to 43 pages.

It specifically notes: ‘At this time, venues should not permit live performances, including drama, comedy and music, to take place in front of a live audience. This is important to mitigate the risks of aerosol transmission - from either the performer(s) or their audience.’

Civil servants acknowledge that ‘for many restaurants, pubs and bars, providing entertainment such as…. comedians are an important part of their business’ and promise: ‘We will develop further guidance, based on scientific evidence, to enable these activities as soon as possible.’

Announcing the relaxed rules in Parliament yesterday,  Boris Johnson gave the go-ahead for theatres to re-open on July 4.

But venues can still not stage live performances, including stand-up, only screen old shows. 

The reasons given were the difficulty of maintaining social distancing on stage and the extra risks associated with singing spreading the virus. However, neither would be an issue for a solo spoken stand-up performance.

Bingo halls have been e allowed to reopen on July 4, meaning it’s now permitted for a person to stand in front of a crowd to read out bingo numbers - but not tell jokes. 

Published: 24 Jun 2020