Panto victim of Guildhall’s shock closure

A SIX-day run of popular pantomime Dick Whittington has been cancelled “until further notice” following the shock closure of the Guildhall Theatre on Friday.

Essential maintenance has been ongoing at the Market Place venue for several months, but the city council has now confirmed that the Grade II-listed building will be closed for at least the next three weeks, and potentially longer, “for safety reasons”.

The Watson Players’ performance was scheduled for a six-day run between Tuesday, January 22 and Sunday, January 27.

But the group has since announced that the performance will be postponed until it is able to reschedule.

A statement on the group’s Facebook page read: “It is with much regret that our pantomime, Dick Whittington, has been cancelled due to health and safety issues beyond our control.

“We are hoping to reschedule the production at a later date and will keep you informed of any further developments.”