The Irish Times view on the return of live performance: a long way back for the sector

Spare a thought for the brave opera-lovers who staunchly sat through Irish National Opera's rain-swept but powerful production of Richard Strauss's Elektra in Castle Yard this week as part of Kilkenny Arts Festival. The show must and did go on, except for one night when a yellow weather alert rendered it too dangerous. Further west, in Galway, theatregoers have been braving similarly unsettled weather for Druid's version of The Seagull at Coole Park. Even in August, the Irish climate brings an extra layer of challenging uncertainty to live performance.

But what about September and October, the traditional time of year for such major events as the Dublin Theatre Festival and Dublin Fringe, plus this year's Galway International Arts Festival, rescheduled from July to autumn? The directors of these and other events must base their plans on current regulations which impose a limit of 50 people in a venue at any one time. They understandably look askance at the very different approach which has been taken to restaurants and pubs by the Government. Speaking this week at the launch of his programme for the Dublin Theatre Festival, artistic director Willie White asked for an acceleration in the Government's reopening schedule, and compared it critically with other countries.

During the public debate in June on reopening hospitality, the Taoiseach cited his conversations with Nicola Sturgeon about the challenges posed by the Delta variant in Scotland. This week, Sturgeon's government allowed the resumption of large-scale events, with specific permission required only for outdoor audiences above 5,000 and indoor audiences of over 2,000. In contrast, this week's production of The Dead at Dublin's 1,145-seat Gaiety theatre was performed before an audience of 50.

The situation is even worse for the commercial entertainment sector, which essentially remains entirely dark with the exception of a smattering of State-supported "pilots". While it is debatable whether an attendance of 70,000 at Electric Picnic in mid-September was desirable, it is fair to ask why we are so far behind in permitting more modest numbers.