Oliver Dowden has tweeted tonight that theatres will be able to rehearse shows during the lockdown starting this Thursday. This clarification was asked by all the theatre producers. Theatres Trust asked yesterday for clarification so that productions could prepare for a currently potential December reopening.
Tonight, Dowden posted on Twitter "Arts venues are places of work, so people can come into them for work, if it cannot be undertaken from home. This includes rehearsals and performance. Audiences are not permitted."