ATG To Re-Open Three Venues And Stage All-New, Socially Distanced Pantomime Productions

Festive productions at Bristol Hippodrome, Manchester Opera House and Milton Keynes Theatre are able to go ahead thanks to the support of The National Lottery, which will give thousands of theatregoers across the country the chance to enjoy socially distanced pantomime. The productions are being staged as a result of an initiative between The National Lottery and Qdos Entertainment which is providing financial support for theatres to stage socially distanced, live pantomimes this festive season.

The scheme will make it viable for the venues to re-open their doors to the general public, generating vital income for the theatre and helping to restore jobs while providing much-needed cheer for pantomime lovers.

Ambassador Theatre Group will comply with UK Theatre's See it Safely guidelines and the Government Performing Arts Working Safely guidelines. Customers will be contacted just ahead of their visit to confirm details so that they can be confident that the venues will be operating in accordance with the most up-to-date guidelines (including eTickets, timed entry, specific entrance/exit points, compulsory face coverings, refreshments delivered to seats, contactless payments and hand sanitiser stations).

Qdos Entertainment will be staging brand new productions of Robin Hood in Bristol and Sleeping Beauty in both Manchester and Milton Keynes. The productions, created especially for each theatre in this unprecedented year, will be riotously funny, one-act celebrations of pantomime, packed full of comedy and laughter and allow audience members the opportunity to come safely together and enjoy the magic of the much-loved and unique art form this festive season.

Up to 20,000 free tickets to pantomimes across the country, including in Bristol, Manchester and Milton Keynes, will be made available to National Lottery players to thank them for making it possible for this Christmas tradition to go ahead. National Lottery players raise on average £30M each week for Good Causes. This year has seen up to £600M in National Lottery funding being used by charities and organisations affected by the impact of the coronavirus outbreak across the arts, community and charity, heritage, education, environment and sport sectors.

All three pantomimes will go on general sale at 10am on Friday 6 November with priority booking for ATG Theatre Card holders and customers who held tickets for the previously advertised 2020 pantomime (Milton Keynes Theatre - Tuesday 3 November, Bristol Hippodrome and Manchester Opera House - Wednesday 4 November). Casting will also be announced next week.