THE NEWS that Berkshire has been placed into Tier 3 restrictions means that theatres must bring their curtains down for now.
The Theatre Royal in Windsor is currently producing Cinderella, but tomorrow evening’s performance will be the last of the year.
The next Government review will take place on Wednesday, December 30, and the theatre hopes that shows from New Year’s Eve onwards will be allowed to take place.
It’s not all bad news: an additional week has been added to the run, meaning that it will close on January 17, 2021.
And the theatre has also announced that next year’s festive show will be Jack and the Beanstalk. It will once again star Kevin Cruise and Steven Blakeley, who will team up for their 12th panto season, and the 83rd to be performed at the theatre, which is in the shadows of Windsor Castle.
The theatre asks that anyone who has tickets for performances between December 19 and December 30 to wait for the box office to contact them, rather than calling.
READ MORE: Our review of Theatre Royal Windsor’s Cinderella
The theatre’s co-directors Jon and Anne-Marie Woodley said: “We are deeply saddened that our much-loved annual pantomime that has run each year for over 82 years, is having to cancel performances.
“For many families, this is a massive annual tradition and even more so at the end of what has already been such a terrible year for everyone.
“While many other theatres across London and the UK have not been able to present a Christmas show this year, we have been proud to be one of the few theatres to have played nearly 30 performances of the pantomime, enjoyed by over 7,000 people.
“While, of course, public safety must be paramount, cancelling a massive production like this just before our busiest period has a huge financial impact.
“This sad news will affect over 130 people who have been working so hard to make our magical pantomime happen, from performers to musicians, stage management and crew to front of house staff and our suppliers.
“The effect of this closure is devastating after a year where the theatre has been closed for eight months already.
“We very much hope that we can resume performances as soon as we are able to and would like to thank our audiences, staff, and our fabulous pantomime company for all their support and patience.”
