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| Coronavirus: Birmingham Hippodrome cancels Christmas season | Coronavirus: Birmingham Hippodrome cancels Christmas season |
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| A theatre which stages one of the UK's most popular pantomimes has cancelled its Christmas programme due to Covid-19 and will not reopen this year. | A theatre which stages one of the UK's most popular pantomimes has cancelled its Christmas programme due to Covid-19 and will not reopen this year. |
| Birmingham Hippodrome announced with "heartache" that its major live performances were "not financially viable" amid social distancing. | Birmingham Hippodrome announced with "heartache" that its major live performances were "not financially viable" amid social distancing. |
| Productions in the main auditorium would not resume until February at the earliest, it said. | Productions in the main auditorium would not resume until February at the earliest, it said. |
| It means festive pantomime, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, will not go ahead. | It means festive pantomime, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, will not go ahead. |
| Annual performances of The Nutcracker by Birmingham Royal Ballet, which uses the theatre as its home venue, have also been scrapped there. | |
| The Hippodrome said the move followed discussions "at length" with both the ballet and pantomime producer, Qdos. | The Hippodrome said the move followed discussions "at length" with both the ballet and pantomime producer, Qdos. |
| Qdos managing director Michael Harrison said: "The Birmingham Hippodrome pantomime is the UK's biggest regional panto and postponing the show has been a difficult decision." | Qdos managing director Michael Harrison said: "The Birmingham Hippodrome pantomime is the UK's biggest regional panto and postponing the show has been a difficult decision." |
| The Hippodrome had previously announced scale backs because of the pandemic. | The Hippodrome had previously announced scale backs because of the pandemic. |
| In June, the theatre said about 60 employees - around half its staff - could be made redundant in a bid to stay afloat. | In June, the theatre said about 60 employees - around half its staff - could be made redundant in a bid to stay afloat. |
| It benefitted from the government's £1.5bn support package for the arts, announced in July, but CEO Fiona Allan said social distancing prohibited full-scale productions. | It benefitted from the government's £1.5bn support package for the arts, announced in July, but CEO Fiona Allan said social distancing prohibited full-scale productions. |
| Goldilocks, starring Jason Donovan, has been rescheduled for the 2021 Christmas period. | Goldilocks, starring Jason Donovan, has been rescheduled for the 2021 Christmas period. |
| Birmingham Royal Ballet says it is "working hard" to find a new host for The Nutcracker and The Hippodrome said it would be contacting ticket holders for the ballet production over the coming days. | Birmingham Royal Ballet says it is "working hard" to find a new host for The Nutcracker and The Hippodrome said it would be contacting ticket holders for the ballet production over the coming days. |
| On Wednesday, Qdos announced it was pushing back pantomimes in Aberdeen, Belfast, Edinburgh and Southampton to next Christmas amid ongoing uncertainty about when theatres would be able to reopen fully. | On Wednesday, Qdos announced it was pushing back pantomimes in Aberdeen, Belfast, Edinburgh and Southampton to next Christmas amid ongoing uncertainty about when theatres would be able to reopen fully. |
| Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone. | Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone. |