Following the closure of New York’s Broadway for the next month, I imagine that many people around the world are looking at their theatre tickets wondering if they will need to put forward a refund request sometime soon. In an announcement provided by Arts Centre Melbourne this afternoon, all performances at their venue will be going ahead at least for this weekend (13-15 March), this decision they claim being made “based on the health recommendation provided to the states and territories at COAG today”.
Over the weekend, scheduled performances include New Order (Sidney Myer Music Bowl; 14 March); The Australian Ballet’s VOLT (State Theatre, 13–14 March); Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s Scheherazade (Hamer Hall, 13–14 March); Melbourne Theatre Company’s Torch The Place (Fairfax Studio; 13–14 March); and SAIGON as part of Asia TOPA (Playhouse; 13–15 March) and more.
The decision today to continue all scheduled performances over the weekend is made in line with the Prime Minister’s recommendation at today’s COAG meeting that from Monday 16 March mass gatherings of more than 500 people cease.
This means events and performances will go ahead as planned for this evening, Saturday and Sunday.
At every point of this developing situation we have followed the advice of government and health authorities and this decision is no different. Over the weekend we will send an update on our programming over the following weeks.
Claire Spencer – Arts Centre Melbourne’s Chief Executive Officer
If you are in Victoria and are looking for relevant local health information, I would recommend checking out the Victorian Government or Australian Government Department of Health websites.
