Sunderland Empire Theatre shows suspended due to coronavirus

Shows at the Sunderland Empire Theatre have been temporarily suspended with immediate effect because of coronavirus, following advice from Boris Johnson about “non-essential” travel and avoiding crowded places.

A statement issued by the Ambassador Theatre Group which runs the venue said that shows in all their theatres are affected.

It means this week’s performances at the Empire of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, scheduled for March 17-21, will not go ahead as planned.

The next scheduled show is the rock n’ roll show Million Dollar Quartet, which had been pencilled in for Wednesday, March 25 to Saturday, March 28.

It is not yet known how long the closure will last.

Previously the group had issued a statement saying that all of its productions across the UK would be performed as planned.

But that has since changed.

Ambassador Theatre Group CEO, Mark Cornell, said the move was in response to the Prime Minister’s statement.

Details about refunds or ticket exchanges are to be released by Wednesday, March 18.

Mr Cornell told theatre-goers: “We regret to inform you that shows in all Ambassador Theatre Group UK venues are temporarily suspended with immediate effect.

“We understand that this decision comes as a disappointment, and a massive inconvenience for those of you already on the way to a venue this evening (March 16), but ultimately we all want the same thing: the health and safety of our communities, and we believe this is the correct decision to make.