Theatre company cancels Buxton Opera House Aladdin panto

Scene 3 Creative - who were co-producing the show with the Opera House - say the risks associated with the virus are ‘extremely unlikely to be resolved by November’ when rehearsals were due to begin.

In a statement published on their website Scene 3 Creative - who have brought pantos to Buxton since the 90s - wrote how it would ‘not be right’ to press ahead with plans for the show during such uncertainty.

This week PM Boris Johnson announced theatres would be allowed to reopen from July 4 whoever they would not be allowed to host live performances.

Government guidance states that the risks of transmission are higher in places where the public are more likely to have to raise their voices to be heard above loud music.

As they announced the Aladdin cancellation with ‘great sadness’ Scene 3 Creative wrote: “We have been following the latest government advice and medical opinion and it seems that the situation with regard to Covid-19 is extremely unlikely to be to resolved by November this year, when we would have expected to begin rehearsals.

“It takes months of work and long-term planning to produce a pantomime and we did not believe it would be right to continue to engage artists and production staff, hire scenery and make other arrangements at a time of such high uncertainty and public danger.”

However Paul Kerrison, CEO of Buxton Opera House, said ‘as far as Aladdin goes we’re still hoping to see it staged’.

He said: “It may still come to fruition but there does come a tipping point and unless there is further guidance pantos everywhere will be at risk.

“At the moment it seems as though theatres are at the back of the queue.

“We’ll have to wait and see what happens with restaurants because if the virus spikes again it’s back to square one.

“Nothing can go ahead at all at the moment - we just have to wait until we’re allowed to open again safely.”

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