News
Royal Exchange Theatre to be wrapped in pink tape as the struggling venue remains closed
It is part of the #MissingLiveTheatre project by stage designers group Scene Change.
Emily Sergeant -
3rd July 2020 
The Royal Exchange Theatre will join a number of other theatres across the UK in being wrapped in colourful pink tape with messages of hope as they remain closed amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
It is part of the #MissingLiveTheatre project by stage designers group Scene Change.
The project is aiming to “bring joy and colour to theatres across the UK and Ireland” and comes after it was announced on Wednesday evening that The Royal Exchange Theatre has entered into a “redundancy consultation” with staff members and may be forced to make up to 65% of permanent roles redundant due to ongoing struggles.
Pink tape, labelled with the message ‘missing live theatre’, can be seen outside the front of the Royal Exchange Theatre from today, and it joins The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Lyric Belfast, the Sherman Theatre Cardiff and a number of influential theatres in London’s West End.
Speaking on of the launch of the nationwide project, Scene Change said: “As businesses begin to reopen, the doors of theatres remain firmly shut whilst we navigate a way back to live performance.”
“Today, as we launch #MissingLiveTheatre”.
“We want to bring joy and colour to theatres across the UK and Ireland, whilst highlighting the ongoing impact of COVID-19 and what we as an industry and local communities are missing.”
“This is a moment of reset in our industry and we believe the design community can be an essential part of the transformation that will see theatre buildings being reopened and the ways in which theatre can be re-imagined.”
“As shapers of theatrical space through the use of people and place, our work is pivotal in connecting an entire ecosystem within the theatre industry.”
“We are ideally positioned to be at the heart of any discussions about how theatre operates in the future.”
For more information on the #MissingLiveTheatre project, visit the SCENE/CHANGE website here.
