Bard on the Beach cancelled A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Henry V, Love’s Labours Lost and Paradise Lost in 2020 due to COVID-19
The pandemic cost the annual Shakespearean festival $1.8 million in losses due to cancelled plays during the pandemic lockdown, according to a report by Deloitte LLP.
In a notice of civil claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court on July 5, the theatre society said it had a policy with Ecclesiastical Insurance Office covering performance interruption and non-production losses.On March 16, 2020, B.C.’s provincial health officer introduced an order barring gatherings of more than 50 people, making the cancellation of Bard’s season a foregone conclusion, the claim said.
In addition to ticket sales for those performances, the claim said the festival lost potential revenue from a concession, bar services and a boutique. The day after the order went into effect, the Bard on the Beach informed Ecclesiastical it would be filing a claim for its losses.