Following the government announcement that the North East will remain in Tier 3 over the festive period, Geordie Panto Co is determined to salvage Christmas the best way they know-how.
With all live performances now prohibited, there is no opportunity to enjoy that very British tradition of a Christmas panto. Or is there?
Geordie Panto Co, who have delighted North East audiences with their unique brand of family festive entertainment for over a quarter of a century decided that if the people couldn’t come to their panto this year, then the panto would come to the people.
Director and Producer, Maxie Peters, who also stars every year as the Dame, said, “It has been a tough year for everyone. Our business has suffered massively as a result of lockdown. Even our friends at Newcastle’s Theatre Royal had to make the announcement that they would not be able to stage their pantomime this year.
“We are conscious that 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 live stream two of our best-loved pantomimes, Cinderella and Aladdin, over Christmas.”
The live streams will be available for free to everyone who is able to watch online. The shows will air on both Facebook and Youtube, with Cinderella showing at 11am and 4pm on Christmas Eve, followed by Aladdin at 11am and 2pm on Boxing Day.
The ethos of the company has always been to bring live theatre to everyone. For many of their young fans, it is the first time or the only time they see live theatre and the company has worked hard to make their shows accessible to all. This year has seen increased hardship and financial uncertainty for many families, which is why Geordie Panto Co was determined to stream their shows for free.
The news has been well received so far and is even attracting viewers from as far away as Greece and the United States.
The company supports their local food bank during their normal runs, and so this year has set up the ability for viewers to donate online to Gateshead Foodbank if they want to and are able to do so. It is entirely voluntary, but it is hoped that the online shows will doubly benefit those who have suffered most this year.
Everyone is welcome to tune in to one or all of the shows, no matter where in the world they are and Geordie Panto Co is looking forward to receiving viewers’ selfies and videos of families enjoying the show remotely.
Full details of how and when to watch can be found on the company’s website: www.geordiepanto.co.uk or by searching GeordiePanto on Facebook.
