TO ALL intents and purposes entertainment in Brighton and across much of the county has shut up shop.

Major venues such as the Brighton Centre and Dome have cancelled shows for the remainder of March and some of April after Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the public to avoid large gatherings in a bid to curtail the coronavirus pandemic which has caused widespread panic as cases in the UK continue to mount.

The city’s premier theatre, the Theatre Royal, has also suspended productions for the foreseeable future.

Events at Komedia in Gardner Street have been postponed too, including Amy Wadge tomorrow, Comic Boom on Thursday and Myra Dubois on Friday.

The venue advises people to check its website for further information.

A statement from the Brighton Centre on the seafront said: “We have made the decision to suspend all events at the Brighton Centre until the end of March.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and follow advice and official guidelines.

“If the venue status changes beyond the end of this month we will of course provide updates on our website.

“Please note, the box office at the Brighton Centre will also be closed to personal callers for over-the-counter bookings. Our access line, 01273 292695, remains open for accessible bookings and advice from Monday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm.

“Where we can, public events will be re-scheduled into the future.

“Ticketholders will be notified with details of rescheduling and again once new dates have been confirmed, if they were not available at the time of the announcement.

“All tickets will be valid for any rescheduled dates and customers will not need to take any action.

“If a customer cannot attend a rescheduled date, they should contact their point of purchase.

“If an event is cancelled, ticket holders will be notified and automatically refunded.

“Please bear with us during this extremely busy and ever-changing time for our team. The Brighton Centre wish to thank all our customers, clients and staff for their continued co-operation and understanding during this unprecedented situation. Keep well.”

Mark Cornell, chief executive of the Ambassador Theatre Group, which runs the Theatre Royal in New Road, said: “In response to the Prime Minister’s statement, advising the UK public to avoid unnecessary social contact, including in theatres, 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, 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.

“We will be consulting with industry bodies including the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre and the Government over the immediate future.

“For now, we would like to thank you for your understanding and patience, and to recognise the incredible efforts and support of producers, artists, partners and customers over this difficult period.”

Other major venues across the county have also been affected, including the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill, which was due to put on a gig by the Lightning Seeds last Friday in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the band’s classic album Jollification. That has now been rescheduled for September.

The Royal Hippodrome in Eastbourne is closes until further notice. In a statement the venue said: “We are working through shows in chronological order and doing our best to reschedule performances to later in the year or 2021.

We have new dates confirmed for the following shows... Funny Girls (October 15); American Four Tops (December 3); An Evening with Merrill Osmond (October 13); and The Circus of Horrors (February 14, 2021.

All the venues have stressed things could change rapidly and that it is vital to check their websites for updates. In the meantime all we can do is watch and wait.

  • The coronavirus Sussex Crisis Fund has been set up to help those affected by the pandemic. The Argus’s charity and American Express have each donated £50,000 to kick-start the appeal.  Grants will usually be for up to £5,000. More information is available at www.sussexgiving. org.uk/apply. To donate visit www.totalgiving.co.uk/appeal/sussexcrisisfund