Pantos go on – oh yes they do!
A PANTOMIME company that normally would have its annual show under way by now has instead announced a double treat for disappointed families to enjoy online.
With news the region is staying in Tier 3 scuppering any hope of live pantomines this Christmas, the Geordie Panto Company, which used to be called Newcastle Panto Ltd and has been running for 25 years, decided the show must go on.
It said if people could not come to its panto this year then the panto would come to the people.
So it will be hosting a double bill of its former pantomimes online over Christmas, free, while inviting voluntary donations to Gateshead Foodbank.
The live streams of family favourites are being made available for everyone to watch online and will air on both Facebook and YouTube, with Cinderella at 11am and 4pm on Christmas Eve, followed by Aladdin at 11am and 2pm on Boxing Day.
Director and producer Maxie Peters, who stars as the Dame, said: “We are conscious the impact on families of lockdown has been significant and we wanted to bring a little piece of normality back to this Christmas, so we took the unprecedented decision to livestream two of our best loved pantomimes over Christmas”.
He added: “It has been a tough year for everyone. Our business has suffered massively as a result of lockdown.”
Nevertheless they were keen Cinderella and Aladdin should be free to watch in view of the financial uncertainty facing families too.
The pantos are already attracting interest from viewers as far afield as Greece and the US says the company, which was initially set up by Peters along with Lindisfarne’s Billy Mitchell and the late Brendan Healy, and was a regular at Newcastle’s Tyne Theatre before its move to a new annual home in Gateshead International Stadium in 2017.
Its ethos always has been to make live theatre accessible to all, while its show run normally supports the local food bank. So this year it has set up the chance for viewers to donate online to Gateshead Foodbank “if they want to and are able to do so”.
It adds: “It is voluntary but it is hoped the online shows will doubly benefit those who have suffered most this year.”
Details of how and when to watch the pantos can be found on the company’s Facebook page. Viewers are also encouraged to share selfies and videos of themselves enjoying the shows.