Popular Fife panto postponed over Covid-19 fears

The popular annual pantomime at the Byre Theatre has been postponed this year because of the Covid-19 crisis.

Alongside theatres across the country, The Byre Theatre temporarily shut its doors to the public in March 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Organisers said planning of the annual pantomime takes place over the course of the whole year and the inability to forecast when theatres can reopen or whether social distancing will be in place for audiences in December makes it impossible for a show of this scale to go on this year.

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Kally Lloyd-Jones and Jessica Richards, joint directors of The Byre Theatre, said: “We are truly saddened to not be able to bring our much-loved pantomime to audiences in St Andrews, and beyond, this festive season.

“Panto is our biggest annual investment of both time and money, and like theatres across the UK, we have been hit hard by the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, lockdown and the physical distancing restrictions which may be necessary when we reopen.

“We want to be able to provide the usual magical experience of The Byre panto in a packed auditorium and make sure we are protecting the health of absolutely everyone in our theatre, from cast to audiences. Our partners at Bard in the Botanics, who do such marvellous work with us, are in wholehearted, but heartbroken agreement.”

Gordon Barr, director of Bard In The Botanics and the writer and director of The Byre’s panto since 2014, added: “Everyone at Bard in the Botanics is going to miss panto at The Byre terribly this year but, in the circumstances, this is absolutely the right decision. We want to share the Christmas period with a full auditorium, one that is packed to the rafters with families and friends having a brilliant time, and just now that isn’t possible. So instead we’ll look forward to next year when we can all return to the Kingdom of Fantasia together.”

While 2020 sees its panto postponed, The Byre Theatre is still hoping to present other special Christmas entertainment and events to its audiences.

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