Richmond Theatre will close following new government advice regarding the escalating coronavirus outbreak.

On Monday evening (March 16), Prime Minister Boris Johnson advised all people living in the UK to "avoid pubs, clubs and theatres, stop all non-essential contact and travel, and work from home if they can."

The government is seeking to slow the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus and introduced its latest advice for residents earlier today.

In response, the Ambassador Theatre Group who manage Richmond Theatre announced they were temporarily suspending "all venues" across the UK, including Richmond Theatre.

Mark Cornell, the CEO of Ambassador Theatre Group, said on Monday night:

"In response to the Prime Minister’s statement this evening, 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 for those of you already on the way to a venue this evening, 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.

"Given the current ambiguity and lack of clarity as to how long our theatres may be closed for, we hope to provide you with an update within the next 48 hours regarding the exchange of tickets.

"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."

The Prime Minister issued special advice to Londoners on Monday after reporting that the highly contagious Covid-19 virus was spreading faster in London than other parts of the UK:

"What we're doing is giving very strong advice that public venues such as theatres should no longer be visited.

"It's important that Londoners now pay special attention to what we're saying about non-essential contact and to take particularly seriously the advice about working from home and avoiding confined spaces such as pubs and restaurants," he said.