NSW Theatres Can Be Half Full.

New South Wales Entertainment facilities including theatres, cinemas and concert halls will be able to increase their capacity to 50 per cent and corporate events at function centres will be able to welcome up to 300 attendees from next week.

The Premier’s Major Events Taskforce has agreed theatre, cinema and concert goers can return to entertainment venues in greater numbers and that corporate events at function centres can increase attendance, provided venues have COVID-Safe plans and adhere to public health requirements.

Minister for the Arts Don Harwin said this is a major step forward to recovery for the performing arts sector, with entertainment facilities now able to sell tickets for seated events at 50 per cent of capacity, to a maximum of 1,000 tickets.

“For workers across the full spectrum of the performing arts – from box office staff to ushers, from technicians and roadies to the artists – this change means more jobs,” Mr Harwin said.

“For audiences, it means we can soon enjoy the experiences we have all missed so much during the pandemic. “It’s a win for jobs, it’s a win for our theatres and it’s a win for communities across NSW.”

The news comes as mainstage theatre companies in NSW open their doors for the first time since March. The Sydney Theatre Company and Company B which have re-opened with reduced capacity will be able to sell more tickets.

The first major musical to re-open is Pippin scheduled for November.

UPDATE FROM SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY

"Based on this change, we are thrilled to confirm that Rules for Living and The Picture of Dorian Gray will take to the stage in the remaining months of 2020.

Already in rehearsals, the hilarious family comedy Rules for Living will be performed at the Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House with slightly amended dates of 2 Nov – 19 Dec. We will contact all ticket holders on Fri 9 Oct about rebooking their tickets into this new socially distanced production or requesting a refund.

Kip Williams’ new adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s classic novel The Picture of Dorian Gray will run from 24 Nov – 19 Dec at Roslyn Packer Theatre. As any change in social distancing requirements impacts our seating, we will contact ticket holders in late October about their ticketing arrangements.

"Our first priority is always the health and safety of our audience. With its opening night tonight, Wonnangatta had been seated under the stricter four square metre rule. We will await the detailed NSW public health guidelines and review all changes against our COVID safety measures before we confirm any additional ticket releases for this production."