Losing pantomime leaves theatres in dire straits

Last week I personally made more than 100 telephone calls to theatres, actors and the many freelancers who make our pantomimes at Qdos possible, to discuss this year’s season. With no real clarity from the government we are clarifying things for ourselves.

We know the government won’t revisit opening indoors without social distancing before November, so the season as we knew it isn’t possible. We’ve had six months of no ticket sales and it is now unthinkable to go ahead with 34 shows that open within weeks of each other.

I spoke to one actor who burst into tears because this was their last chance of any kind of income this year. It has been incredibly sad, but as people who love live performance, we know we have fought as hard as we can to preserve the season.

Pop-up pantomimes with three or four people in the cast make my heart sink from a creative point of view and, economically, how can theatres open for this limited opportunity when their programming for the early months
of 2021 is now non-existent? But, as a producer who moved six West End musicals earlier this year, my mantra from the moment this pandemic hit has been: ‘Never give up’, and I won’t.

We are standing by ready and willing, we just need a date and some guidelines

Every theatre is different, which is why we didn’t cancel 34 pantomimes in one day. The discussion about the viability of each show is still ongoing. Although announcements have been made regarding the postponement of several shows, not everything has been delayed as we continue to address the needs of each theatre.

We’re not blind to what is going on in the world – and take the safety of our staff and audiences very seriously – but at the same time, this industry needs to get back on its feet.

Pantomime is the most adaptable of art forms. We need a list of dos and don’ts that we can work from. If brass and woodwind in the orchestra are a concern, then let’s reconfigure the pit. If artists interaction on stage is dangerous, we will adapt accordingly. It’s a big frustration that other industries, such as restaurants, have had clear guidelines as to how they can progress and function and we haven’t.

As Andrew Lloyd Webber’s London Palladium pilot demonstrated, people in theatre have gone to great lengths to find our own solutions. I’ve had endless conversations with theatres about the changes we might need to make on stage, backstage and front of house. We are standing by ready and willing, we just need a date and some guidelines.

The reality about losing the Christmas season is stark. While the £1.57 billion funding for the arts was welcome, it won’t go far enough. For non-subsidised theatres, pantomime is their subsidy. It can contribute up to 35% of a theatre’s overall revenue. Take that away, on top of everything else, and many will be left in dire straits.