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Theatres, cinemas and attractions to close on Monday for Queen’s funeral

Theatres and cinemas are set to close in the UK on Monday, as the day has been marked for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral. 

The Queen died at the age of 96 on Thursday last week, with the Monday also serving as a bank holiday in the UK. 

A number of events were cancelled in light of the news, including theatre performances and sporting events. 

Cinema chains including Odeon, Cineworld, Picturehouse, Showcase and The Light will be closing their venues for all of Monday. 

Other cinema chains including Curzon and Arc have said that they will screen the funeral for free, while cancelling the rest of their Monday programming. 

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has also announced that it will be screening the Queen’s state funeral at its theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. The Queen had been a patron of the RSC since 1961. 

Museums and attractions in London such as the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, the National Gallery, Tate Modern and Tate Britain will all be closed. 

Most of the theatre industry will also be closing its doors as a sign of respect for those that are mourning. 

An official statement from Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre said: “Due to the scheduling of the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and out of respect for all who are mourning, most shows in central London have now announced that they will be closing on 19 September.

“Ticket-holders will receive an email from their point of purchase with details regarding exchanges and refunds.

“Throughout the period of national mourning, performances will go ahead as planned but we would advise audiences coming into central London to allow more time for their journeys to and from the theatre from Wednesday (today) when the Queen will be lying in State.”

The statement added: “In regards to the national one minute silence at 8pm on Sunday 18 September, shows that are playing on that evening will mark this prior to curtain up.”

Image: Samuel Regan-Asante on Unsplash