Pateley Bridge is to offer some covid-safe outdoor theatre this month by staging Halloween ghost walks.
Actors from Pateley Bridge Dramatic Society will guide the audience through the Nidderdale town while telling haunted tales.
The walks will take place on October 30 and 31. Starting times will be staggered from 6pm to 8pm.
To comply with coronavirus regulations, each walk will be limited to five people.
Ruth Dodsworth, president of the society, which usually performs at the town’s Playhouse theatre, said:
“We have a proud history of innovation at the Playhouse and wanted to keep theatre alive in the safest way possible, while offering an original and dramatic experience.
“Ghost walks over Halloween weekend seemed a perfect way to do that.”
Complying with social distancing is difficult at the Playhouse, which will remain closed until at least the end of the year.
Tickets can be booked from Friday, October 23 here.
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- Harrogate Theatre has received another grant to help recover its losses from lockdown.
- Knaresborough’s Frazer theatre has said social distancing has made it too difficult to reopen.
No plans for district theatres to move performances outdoors
Despite being allowed to move plays and performances outside as of Monday, theatres across the district have said it isn’t possible right now.
Yesterday the government announced that outdoor performances can take place with socially distanced audiences from July 11. However, theatre groups across the district have said it would not be possible due to cost and rehearsal time.
The Ripon Amateur Operatic Society is hoping to start rehearsals for its upcoming production of Chicago but says that an outdoor production wouldn’t be feasible.
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Phill Ruddy, director and choreographer for the society said:
“I think it’s a bit wider than the time needed and cost, we don’t have places in Harrogate where we could do open air performances. We are charities and we can’t spend twenty grand on an outdoor venue.”
The Ripon Amateur Operatic Society was due to perform Oliver at Harrogate Theatre back in April.
Similarly, the Pateley Bridge Dramatic Society has suspended all its performances with no set date to reopen. However, the president of the society Ruth Dodsworth said it is considering doing a ghost walk but everything is up in the air.
She said:
“We would like to do something if possible in order to keep everyone interested and aware that things are still going ahead. We would like to do outdoor productions but it is such a long process.”