Stevenage’s Gordon Craig Theatre is to close until further notice as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

As Prime Minister Boris Johnson escalates Britain’s response to the coronavirus crisis, all UK pubs, cafes and restaurants must close tonight (Friday) and not reopen tomorrow (Saturday).

Stevenage’s Gordon Craig Theatre posted a poignant picture on Instagram of a darkened stage illuminated by a single ghost light.

The message read: “We may have closed our doors today, but we leave our ghost light centre stage so all performers, crew, front of house teams, touring productions and most importantly our patrons will find their way back home when the time is right.”

The Gordon Craig Theatre also posted an update on its Facebook page this evening and on its website in relation to the COVID-19 outbreak.

It read: “Stevenage Leisure Limited (SLL) and Stevenage Borough Council (SBC) have taken the very difficult joint decision to temporarily close the Gordon Craig Theatre from Friday, March 20, 2020 until further notice.

“All performances and educational activities have been suspended and the box office has been closed.

“We are committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for all, and the wellbeing, and health and safety of our performers, artists, audiences, employees and visiting companies is of paramount importance to us and we hope that by closing our doors, we can help to keep everyone safe.

“We appreciate that this closure will cause significant disruption and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.

“We are working hard behind the scenes to reschedule all performances and updated information will appear on our website and social media channels as soon as arrangements are finalised.

“We will do our utmost to notify customers of any changes to their bookings by email as soon as we have the information available.”

The GCT statement added: “During this period, our small but dedicated team will continue to work remotely where possible.

“However, please be aware that that it will not be possible to answer queries or emails during this period and that there may be a significant delay in you receiving a response.

“We are looking forward to welcoming you back to The Gordon Craig as soon as possible with an exciting programme of shows and events.

“Our website remains open 24 hours a day with tickets available for future performances.

“Likewise, we will be keeping you all up to date with exciting announcements about our forthcoming productions and casting announcements via our social media channels.

“We have always been grateful to the support that you, our audience give us and we very much hope that you’ll support us through the challenges we face.

“The show must go on as they say and we look forward to welcoming you back to The Gordon Craig Theatre after this extended interval.”

Visit www.gordon-craig.co.uk for the latest and details of forthcoming shows.