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Has London's cultural scene recovered from Covid lockdown?

Alice Bhandhukravi & James W Kelly
BBC London
Getty Images Street view of The Theatre Café in London, with posters for West End shows like Frozen, Mary Poppins, The Lion King, Mamma Mia!, and Wicked. The storefront is decorated with flowers and lights, offering discounted tickets and merchandise.Getty Images
The first lockdown saw curtains go down on all of the West End's productions

London's cultural scene was among the sectors hardest hit when the first Covid lockdown began in March 2020, and five years on some in the industry say it is still finding its feet.

Those working on theatre productions were among the workers facing the most uncertainty with many on freelance contracts and not knowing when the curtains would go up again.

"It was just absolutely horrendous because we didn't know how long it was going to last," theatre producer Eleanor Lloyd said.

"The income went from a very healthy business that we'd been running here already for a year and a half, to zero income - I mean absolutely nothing."

Ms Lloyd, who produces Witness for the Prosecution on the West End, said theatres faced many false starts over the course of the pandemic which added to the uncertainty for her and her 45 employees.

Eleanor Lloyed is seen in a dimly lit theatre with wooden seating and red cushions. She wears a green blazer over a black polka-dot top and a silver necklace, and appears to be giving an interview or making a statement.
Producer Eleanor Lloyd says her income went to "zero" during the first lockdown

Some in the sector went on to find other forms of income, including actor Serene Sabah who decided to open an ice cream parlour.

"I having a conversation on a Zoom [call] with other theatre makers where we were being told that it might be that we never go to their theatre again," she said.

"Will it ever come back":[]}