Phantom of the Opera to close in West End after 34 years in devastating blow to UK theatre by Isobel Lewis, Isobel Lewis

Musical first opened at Her Majesty's Theatre in 1986

SOURCE: The Independent at 2:48am on July 29, 2020[SHARE]

Dominic Cooke, director of Bob Marley musical Get Up, Stand Up, steps down to give job to black director Clint Dyer by Isobel Lewis, Isobel Lewis

British-Jamaican theatre maker will now lead musical, due to open in the West End next spring

SOURCE: The Independent at 7:32am on July 22, 2020[SHARE]

Hamilton: Criticism of Disney+ musical is 'valid', Lin-Manuel Miranda says by Isobel Lewis, Isobel Lewis

Show has been accused of whitewashing history of US founding fathers

SOURCE: The Independent at 3:03am on July 7, 2020[SHARE]

Netflix donates £500,000 to Sam Mendes's theatre support fund after director criticised streaming service for ignoring the arts by Isobel Lewis, Isobel Lewis

Mendes had previously criticised streaming services for not giving 'a fraction of their Covid-19 windfall' to the industry

SOURCE: The Independent at 6:24am on July 6, 2020[SHARE]

Nick Cordero death: Florence Pugh and Lin-Manuel Miranda lead tributes to Broadway actor, dead after coronavirus battle by Isobel Lewis, Isobel Lewis

Actor died on Sunday after a 95-day battle with coronavirus

SOURCE: The Independent at 3:06am on July 6, 2020[SHARE]

Coronavirus: Arts sector won't recover from pandemic without government support, Scottish Labour says by Isobel Lewis, Isobel Lewis

Scottish Labour has called on government to provide 'creative arts recovery package' to help industry

SOURCE: The Independent at 7:06am on July 3, 2020[SHARE]

Broadway to remain closed until 2021 as coronavirus continues to damage global theatre industry by Isobel Lewis, Isobel Lewis

New York's commercial theatre scene shut in March

SOURCE: The Independent at 7:12am on June 30, 2020[SHARE]

Andrew Lloyd Webber says government suggested musicals return 'without any singing' by Isobel Lewis, Isobel Lewis

Industry experts warned this week that the UK is on the brink of 'cultural collapse'

SOURCE: The Independent at 8:12am on June 19, 2020[SHARE]

The Thick of It writer Armando Iannucci warns of 'absolutely terrifying' future for the arts after coronavirus by Isobel Lewis, Isobel Lewis

'We've got to have something to come back to'

SOURCE: The Independent at 6:54am on June 9, 2020[SHARE]

David Tennant says UK theatres are 'teetering' close to collapse over coronavirus crisis by Isobel Lewis, Isobel Lewis

Actor has called on government to intervene to save industry

SOURCE: The Independent at 5:54am on June 9, 2020[SHARE]

The Crown's Matt Smith and Claire Foy to return to stage for socially distanced performance of Lungs by Isobel Lewis, Isobel Lewis

Pair first appeared in Duncan Macmillan's 'Lungs' in 2019

SOURCE: The Independent at 11:32am on May 27, 2020[SHARE]

Nick Cordero: Broadway star 'still very sick' as he battles coronavirus, wife Amanda Kloots says by Isobel Lewis, Isobel Lewis

Stage actor has been in intensive care since the end of March

SOURCE: The Independent at 4:48am on May 26, 2020[SHARE]

Broadway star Nick Cordero's wife breaks down as she reveals actor's health is 'going downhill' after coronavirus by Isobel Lewis, Isobel Lewis

Cordero awoke from his coronavirus-induced coma last week

SOURCE: The Independent at 5:36am on May 21, 2020[SHARE]

Nick Cordero: Broadway star's wife Amanda Kloots shares 'good news' amid coronavirus battle by Isobel Lewis, Isobel Lewis

Actor awoke from his coma last week

SOURCE: The Independent at 4:06am on May 19, 2020[SHARE]

Tony Awards 2020: Broadway stars unimpressed as theatre awards replaced with Grease singalong by Isobel Lewis, Isobel Lewis

Broadway has shut down during the coronavirus pandemic

SOURCE: The Independent at 4:12am on May 18, 2020[SHARE]

Hamilton: Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical is coming to Disney+ one year early by Isobel Lewis, Isobel Lewis

The film was originally scheduled for cinema release in 2021

SOURCE: The Independent at 10:12am on May 12, 2020[SHARE]

Dame Vera Lynn joins Alfie Boe and West End stars for 'We'll Meet Again' VE Day performance by Isobel Lewis, Isobel Lewis

Today marks the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War

SOURCE: The Independent at 9:12am on May 8, 2020[SHARE]

Gillian Anderson and Tom Hiddleston productions coming to National Theatre Live at Home by Isobel Lewis, Isobel Lewis

Shows are streaming every Thursday on National Theatre's YouTube channel

SOURCE: The Independent at 7:54am on May 7, 2020[SHARE]

From Glee to The Eddy, why are TV musicals so few and far between? by Isobel Lewis, Isobel Lewis

In our current climate, we need the escapism of musicals more than ever, writes Isobel Lewis. So why haven't television networks jumped on the bandwagon?

SOURCE: The Independent at 2:32am on May 7, 2020[SHARE]

Coronavirus: Cameron Mackintosh says theatres 'unlikely' to reopen this year by Isobel Lewis, Isobel Lewis

'The longer it is until we can say social distancing is gone, the longer it'll be for the theatre to come back'

SOURCE: The Independent at 7:48am on May 4, 2020[SHARE]

Talking Heads: Jodie Comer and Martin Freeman to star in Alan Bennett's BBC revival by Isobel Lewis, Isobel Lewis

'Talking Heads' was first broadcast in 1988 and 1998

SOURCE: The Independent at 6:03am on April 28, 2020[SHARE]

Mamma Mia stars Meryl Streep and Christine Baranski reunite for Sondheim birthday concert by Isobel Lewis, Isobel Lewis

The pair sang 'Ladies Who Lunch' from 'Company' with Audra McDonald

SOURCE: The Independent at 3:42am on April 27, 2020[SHARE]

Broadway on Demand streaming service to launch in May with more than 100 archived shows by Isobel Lewis, Isobel Lewis

Broadway shut down on 12 March due to the coronavirus pandemic

SOURCE: The Independent at 2:54am on April 17, 2020[SHARE]

Andrew Lloyd Webber fears coronavirus will keep theatres shut until September by Isobel Lewis, Isobel Lewis

London's West End was forced to close indefinitely on 16 March

SOURCE: The Independent at 3:54am on April 9, 2020[SHARE]

Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag play available to stream in coronavirus charity fundraiser by Isobel Lewis, Isobel Lewis

Fans can buy the stage show on Soho Theatre On Demand and Amazon Prime Video

SOURCE: The Independent at 12:36pm on April 6, 2020[SHARE]