If you want live theatre, there’s just one show
THE ongoing impact of Coronavirus and the recent Tier changes means Theatre Royal Plymouth is the only large-scale venue in the UK where you can still experience a Christmas show live on stage.
Robinson Crusoe, starring Les Dennis, Connor McIntyre, Simon Webbe, Jennie Dale and local funnyman, Andy Ford, is a one-act show specially devised for socially distanced audiences.
The panto opened on 12 December to rave reviews from both audiences and critics alike who paid tribute to the quality of the show, the staff at the venue and the safety measures in place to keep ticket holders and performers safe.
Social distancing rules means there are less than 50% of the seats available for sale and bookings can only be made by household or support bubbles up to a maximum of 6 people. Alongside Robinson Crusoe
TRP is supporting theatre companies Stuff & Nonsense and Gonzo Moose to perform in The Drum.
Stuff & Nonsense’s The Gingerbread Man plays during the day and Gonzo Moose’s The Thing That Came From Over There plays in the evening. Both shows have also proved very popular with socially distanced audiences with Gonzo Moose’s run extended until Wed 30 December and additional tickets for The Gingerbread Man released for the final week of the run, which is due to end on 9 January.
Theatre Royal’s Chief Executive Adrian Vinken said: “It’s been such a privilege to welcome back both artists and audiences to TRP for the Christmas season after almost 10 months of closure. We’ve been incredibly fortunate to still be able to remain open and feel so sorry for all those theatres throughout the UK who’ve been forced to close down.
“We don’t take the trust that our audiences have placed in TRP for granted. The new safety measures that we’ve introduced are based on the government’s rules backed by theatre industry guidelines and have been reviewed by specialist consultants. We’ve been heartened by the past few weeks’ overwhelmingly positive feedback from audiences about their experience of returning to TRP.
“It’s testimony to the dedication and care of all our teams who feel incredibly proud to be flying the flag for live theatre in the UK.” Theatre Royal’s Christmas season was made possible thanks to a grant from the government’s Culture Recovery Fund and the National Lottery who are supporting Qdos, the production company behind Robinson Crusoe.
Tickets for Robinson Crusoe which is due to end on Sunday 3 January, The Gingerbread Man which is due to end on Sat 9 January, and The Thing That Came From Over There which is due to end on Wed 30 December, are available on theatreroyal.com. Tickets for socially distanced shows in January and February including Horrible Histories and Six the Musical are also available.