Following a meeting of the Penrith Players’ theatre committee last night it has been agreed to cancel the rest of the season, they hope to open again to the public in 2021.
Mike Head, chair of Theatre Committee said: “It has been a tough decision but given the need for planning rehearsals and auditions, it seemed the sensible one. It would be very hard to manage social distancing in the Playhouse and we couldn’t afford a deep clean after each performance. We are grateful for financial support from Eden District Council.
“We are already planning for our 2021 season. In some ways it is easy as we are transferring some plays that were to appear in 2020. Our centenary season will be in 2022 and we already are starting to think about that too.
“It is not all bad news for our supporters. The Playhouse is open to members on special projects with strict protocols over operation. During lockdown we have been doing online play readings and these will continue in the autumn. This has allowed us to look at a number of plays, including some by Cumbrian writers. A grant from Create to Connect is allowing us to record some of these and they will be available to our members next month.”