Solihull Council regrets to announce the postponement of the Cinderella pantomime, scheduled to take place in December 2020 at The Core Theatre.
The decision was made by Councillor Joe Tildesley, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Tourism and Sport, in conjunction with pantomime producers Little Wolf Entertainment.
There are a number of reasons why this decision has been taken, including the practicalities of trying to host and deliver a large scale, high quality pantomime within the confines of the current Covid-19 restrictions.
Another concern is the risk of having to cancel the production part-way through the performance run, should any cast or crew member need to self-isolate.
The Core Theatre and Little Wolf Entertainment will now look to reschedule the Cinderella Pantomime for December 2021. Customers who have bought tickets for this year’s show will be offered the opportunity to transfer their ticket or to have a refund. Tickets will then be put on sale to the wider general public for the 2021 performance.
Solihull Council’s Cabinet Member for Leisure, Tourism & Sport, Cllr Joe Tildesley, said:
“This is obviously hugely disappointing news, but given the current situation in the borough it is best to postpone this production until such a time when we can comfortably and confidently deliver the best performance possible, in the safest way.
“In the meantime, we will look at other possible options to utilise our council theatre over the winter season.”
Morgan Brind and Alan Bowles, Company Directors, Little Wolf Entertainment, said:
“We hope our wonderful audiences will understand why we are taking the difficult decision to postpone Cinderella’s trip to the ball. We’re passionate about delivering unforgettable family panto and it has become increasingly clear that we wouldn’t be able to safely present a show of our usual size and spectacle this season.
“But don't rip up your royal invitation yet as we’re working with the fantastic Box Office team to ensure no one misses out and we hope audiences will choose to support the re-opening of live theatre by transferring existing bookings to our new dates next Christmas at the same price and the same seats.
“We’d also like to say a huge thank you to The Core Theatre and Solihull Council, who have been hugely supportive producing partners throughout this difficult time.
“We can’t wait to welcome you back with an even bigger and better show than before.
“We hope you’ll agree that some things really are worth waiting for… Oh yes they are!”
For more information on ticket sales and refund enquiries please contact the theatre Box Office on 0121 704 6962 or email thecoretheatre@solihull.gov.uk.