It’s behind you! Pantomimes and musicals forced to cancel after Covid-19 outbreaks threatens the industry once again
Ongoing Covid-19 outbreaks across the UK looks to threaten theatres once again, as shows begin to cancel shows just before Christmas.
The West End’s The Lion King has called off its shows on Tuesday and Wednesday due “to Covid-enforced absences” among cast and crew, and The Life of Pi also had to scrap five performances between 9 and 13 December, according to the BBC.
Other companies like The Royal Shakespeare Company and The National Theatre have also started to take action after actors and actresses have become exposed to the highly contagious Omicron variant this week.
Some pantomimes have also been affected. For example, The Brighton Centre’s Aladdin, which was set to star Anita Dobson, has now been postponed until 2022 due to “the uncertainty and risk surrounding the Omicron variant of Covid-19”.
Jack and the Beanstalk from the Big Pembrokeshire Panto, which was due to star The Only Way is Essex’s James Argent, has been cancelled too.
The move is disastrous for local theatres that rely on pantomimes to bring in much-needed revenue over the Christmas period.
Some venues will continue to host live events, following government guidelines surrounding Covid passes, or a negative lateral flow tests.
This will be also be required by law for entry at concert halls and nightclubs holding more than 500 people, from Wednesday.