THE show will go on – only it will be at Easter and not Christmas.
The panto Sleeping Beauty should have been gracing the stage this festive season but due to Covid restrictions – namely Studley staying in Tier 3 – the show has been put on ice until next April.
The work of Aunty Jen Production and with a cast drawn from Redditch, Studley and beyond, fans only caught a glimpse of the potential of the show at a special livestream event last Sunday, December 13.
That unfortunately also was the final curtain – until next year – after the government announced Stratford District would remain in Tier 3.
“People have worked so incredibly hard for the show, the entire community and the actors too, some of whom have not earned anything during the pandemic having slipped through the gaps in the furlough scheme,” said show director Jen Stone.
“It had been suggested that we move the production to a venue in Redditch but that would not have been fair on on hosts Studley Sports Centre who have stood by us throughout, or the local community from which we grew.”
The show is a major production too. Backed by a grant from the Arts Council, which has given its approval for the re-scheduling, Jen is promising it will be on stage again in better times.
“We have had so much support from the local community, so many tuned in to our livestream, and others who had ordered tickets have just asked for them to be transferred to next April,” said Jen.
“By then surely we will have this pandemic under control and we can look forward to a return to some normality.”
