Tenbury pantomime overcame adversity to bring much needed cheer

This was the first time in two years that the annual pantomime has been possible in Tenbury with the show in 2020 falling foul of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The show this time did not escape completely with four shows having to be cancelled because of Covid-19 but the production of Sleeping Beauty has been widely acclaimed.

People who went to see the show have been gushing with praise and just delighted to be able to be back in the Regal at Christmas.

Because of the unusual circumstances in these Covid times the show was different last year.

It was a completely professional cast with the more traditional style with members of the community also taking part ruled out because of problems associated with the virus.

But the town of Tenbury opened its hearts to the production in more ways than one with some of the actors staying with families living in and around the town during the run.

The show started on Wednesday, December 15 and ran until the end of the year although some of the performances after Christmas had to be cancelled.

It has been a very difficult two years for the town and so the pantomime gave people a chance to celebrate a return to something more like normal.

For the venue there have also been challenges.

The historic building was badly damaged by the flooding in February 2020 and this led to a major renovation programme.

But this enabled a new auditorium to be built and other facilities improved for audiences and performers.

Work has also been done to make the building less vulnerable to flooding in the future.

There is a busy schedule of shows and films taking shape for 2022 and the Regal has an extensive outreach programme with the local community.

This includes links with Tenbury High School.

The Regal has a vision plan for further improvements to secure its future for generations to come. It is already looking ahead to next Christmas when the pantomime will be the story of Robin Hood.