Bognor's Regis Centre "devastated" as it cancels panto

Bognor’s Regis Centre has taken the “devastating” decision to cancel its 2020 pantomime and shut until 2021.
Hazel LatusHazel Latus
Hazel Latus

The café will remain open, as will the venue’s studios for bookings including dance schools and the university.

But the auditorium will remain dark until at least the New Year.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Hazel Latus, who runs the venue and chairs the board, said it was a heart-breaking decision – but in effect it was a choice that wasn’t really a choice at all. The board agreed that they had absolutely no option.

“We are devastated,” Hazel said – but crucially it was a decision that would safeguard the venue’s future.

“We held on as long as we possibly could, hoping against hope, hoping that we would be told when and how we could open safely, but we have now been told not to expect that guidance until November at the earliest. And we can’t wait that long. We can’t hope to put something on in December but only find out if we can do it in November. And the downside to that, even if we were told we could do it, is that I just don’t think the people would have confidence in coming.

“We had no choice really, especially if we were going to make it viable. With social distancing, if we could only have 48 people in, then that just wouldn’t pay for it. Our bookings (for the panto) are very, very very low. It is not encouraging at all. People are nervous. They might be waiting until the last moment to make their booking, but we can’t wait until the last minute to produce a show.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I feel gutted. I have never done a Christmas without panto, and I have been in the business for years. It’s part and parcel of our way of life, the family included. And I am devastated for Spillers Pantomimes who have been wonderful. They have said that they would do anything we needed them to do to make it happen, that they would change the show, and they were even offering us a Christmas show instead. But we just can’t wait until November.”

Hazel said she had heard of theatres not opening until March or April next year – and again that would create problems in Bognor. Many of this year’s spring shows, which were cancelled, were rebooked to January or February 2021.

“But making this decision protects the venue. At the end of the day, the whole board, and myself as chairman, are wanting to protect the charity, and taking this decision, we know we are safe. We know that we can continue paying for everything that we need to pay for until January – and beyond, to be honest. But we don’t want to be paying for a panto that might not happen.

“The time is right for us to make this call so that we can plan for the future, and it does secure our future. We are not closing because we are going bust or bankrupt or because we are losing money. We have squirrelled money away to be sensible, but we have got no income coming in.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“If they had said last month that we could open the auditorium and only have half an audience in, we would have cut our cloth accordingly. But we just can’t wait until November… and even if we did, it just wouldn’t give people confidence.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

*************

A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton:

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news, I am asking you to please purchase a copy of our newspapers.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspapers.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Stay safe, and best wishes.

Gary Shipton

Editorial Director

Related topics: