The performing arts industry has welcomed the announcement that live events can resume at 60% capacity from next Monday but say some people may never return to the stage.
Live indoor events were among the first to be banned when the pandemic broke out a year and a half ago.
Rehearsals for "Philadelphia, Here I Come" are due to begin shortly at Cork Opera House.
Speaking to RedFM News, producer of the play, Patrick Talbot says everyone is delighted to be back:
" I think of all the sectors, one could argue that the arts and entertainment sector was hit the most really with COVID in terms of the business being brought to its knees, you know, livelihoods devastated, young careers just stalled, it's wonderful that we know can identify a date is when we can get back to some degree of normality."
Speaking to RedFM News, CEO of The Everyman Theatre on MacCurtain Street Seán Kelly says it may be some time before the sector is back to pre-pandemic levels of employment:
"That's particularly true of artists whose income was precarious at the best of times, the fact that they were kind of barred from working for so long, through no fault of their own obviously, meant that they had to go and pay the bills somehow so I think there has been a haemorrhaging of talented people from the arts and culture generally."
