Lloyd Webber's Love Never Dies cancels its first preview

Love Never Dies  has cancelled its first preview on February 20th sending the following note to ticket holders:

"It is with great regret that we have taken the early decision to cancel the first preview of Love Never Dies at The Adelphi Theatre on February 20th. This complex show is half way through its technical production period, as we write this letter, and it is clear that we need the two extra days' work which will take us to Monday February 22nd. We are not, at this time, behind schedule and everything is looking extremely promising. Planning ahead, however, it is clear we would only be able to present an exhausted company on stage at the end of next week and, possibly, a show still not in a technically safe and secure state. Rather than spring this on you at the last minute, we have taken an early decision to cancel.

Most other previews are already heavily sold, but as a precautionary measure we have held back seats for the performances on Friday March 5th and Monday March 8th for customers who have been affected.

We are aware that many of the audience who planned to see the show on February 20th bought tickets explicitly because it would have been the first public performance. This, of course, has an inbuilt risk to it, as it is not infrequent that the plan of a new show's arrival is knocked off course by technical demands. We are, nevertheless, very sorry to disappoint those who hoped to see the first performance. We will try to keep to schedule over the next ten days and aim for a dress rehearsal on February 20th. We fervently hope that we may be sufficiently prepared for this to be a public dress rehearsal. If we can do that, we will contact you by Friday evening February 19th and you will be most welcome to join us for that special occasion as well as having your preview seats re-booked. You will appreciate that this is an ambition and an aim and we cannot guarantee it, but maybe you can will us along."

The World Premiere of  Love Never Dies will take place on 9th March at London's  Adelphi Theatre. Previews now begin on 22 February and the show will subsequently open in New York on 11th November 2010 and then in Australia in 2011.