WINCHESTER Theatre Royal has been hit a heavy blow with the move of the district into Tier 4. The theatre has had to cancel the remaining shows of Four Dames in Search of a Panto which had been due to run until the start of the New Year. The show, which replaced the traditional sell-out pantomime, was seen as a safe way for venue to rescue something from the financially-disastrous year. A spokeswoman for the theatre said: With Winchester going into Tier 4 we are devastated to have to cancel the remaining performances of Four Dames in Search of a Panto and once again close the doors of Theatre Royal Winchester.
THE first live performances at Theatre Royal Winchester since March took place earlier this month. The Jewry Street theatre hosted the first previews of its socially distanced Christmas Show, Four Dames in Search of a Panto. Four Dames in Search of a Panto features panto set pieces, including the much loved Twelve Days of Christmas,, hilarious gags, original songs and familiar faces to Winchester audiences. The panto-styled show has been created by the same team behind the theatre’s hugely successful pantomimes, including James Barry who has written and directed the production, with music by composer Simon Slater. The cast of four have all been part of the Winchester pantomime team before: Julian Eardley returns as one of the Dames – his 11th outing as a Dame in the city.