Following a meeting of the Penrith Players’ theatre committee it has
been agreed to cancel the rest of the season and we 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.”