STATEMENT FROM TRON THEATRE:
In light of the ongoing COVID-19 situation and uncertainty around Scottish Government timescales for the phasing out of lockdown as well as not yet knowing what restrictions might be in place in order for us to operate safely, we have taken the very difficult decision to reschedule our beloved pantomime, which this year was to have been The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, written, directed and performed by Johnny McKnight. However, we are not saying goodbye to the production altogether, instead it has been rescheduled to our Autumn/Winter 2021 season (24th November 2021 – 2nd January 2022).
We’ve looked at all the options open to us in relation to safe social distancing in our venue as well as the considerable financial risk associated with producing a pantomime on the scale that we do (we do not subsidise our Christmas production from Creative Scotland and Glasgow City Council grant income and therefore rely solely on ticket income to cover the cost of staging the annual extravaganza). In addition to this, we very much feel that pantomime needs to be enjoyed in a packed auditorium, with audience and performer interaction integral to the overall experience as well as a company who are able to work in close proximity to one another in the all-singing, all-dancing style that our pantos have become synonymous with. In considering all these factors, we have concluded that we would be short-changing our audiences if we were to deliver anything other than our usual panto experience, and that postponement is currently the most sensible option.
The Tron Theatre Box Office team will be working to contact all customers who hold tickets for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz with a view to transferring these over to 2021. There will of course be alternative options for customers including refunds, theatre credit or to donate the price of their ticket back to the theatre.
Executive Director & Joint Chief Executive Sam Gough said of the rescheduling:
‘It’s hugely disappointing to have to make this call, but it’s been carefully assessed, and we simply can’t deliver the magic of a Tron panto under the current circumstances. To do so would not only be financially irresponsible but also detrimental to the very special brand of panto we are known and loved for. We do very much hope to be able to welcome audiences back into our building in the latter half of the year and the producing team are working hard to plan appropriate and safe events’.
