From producing plays to working at McDonalds - Plymouth's redundant Theatre Royal workers on life after Covid
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Theatre workers across the West Country who are now looking for jobs elsewhere or re-training have spoken of their fears for the future of the struggling industry.
With indoor venues still unable to re-open without social distancing, and details of the Government's planned £1.5bn bailout yet to be revealed, many in the world of performance are navigating a crowded jobs market or looking elsewhere for a new career.
Lauren Walsh was a production assistant at Plymouth's Theatre Royal before she was made redundant earlier this year as a result of the theatre's closure.
She said: "I'm applying to anything and everything I can just to get some work to pay the bills. I'm working at a well-known fast food place, so that will be my job just to keep a roof over my head for a while.
"It's pretty sad. After I cleaned out my office it felt suddenly really final. But it's such a weird time, nothing else is continuing so it doesn't feel real."
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said people from all walks of life must be prepared to adapt and, if necessary, re-train for different careers.
He said: "Can things happen in exactly the way they did? No. But everyone is having to find ways to adapt and adjust to the new reality."
Actor Alex was in the middle of rehearsals for a play at Theatre Royal Plymouth when he heard that everything was shutting down.
Alex has now moved to London to start training at the prestigious Central School of Speech and Drama. He admits he has no idea whether there will be work for him at the end of it.
"It's really quite scary and the future looks very uncertain," he said. "But let's hope we can all rally together and make the most of whatever is going to come next."
A new report commissioned by Arts Council England shows culture and live performance is one of the largest industries in the West Country, generating £700 million a year or the local economy and employing more than 10,000 people.
Back in July the Government promised a rescue plan to save our theatres, and an update on how that money will be divided is expected.
A spokeswoman for Exeter's Northcott Theatre said: "The Government's cultural recovery fund, administered via the Arts Council, will announce who has been able to access the money.
"This will massively inform how cultural organisations can operate and we'll be announcing some major plans soon after that news."
Read more: South West could lose 43,000 jobs in arts industry