Gaiety pantomime cancelled as Covid numbers rise

All remaining performances of the Little Mermaid at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin have been cancelled because of Covid-related absences among the cast and crew as well as rising case numbers across the country.

Confirming the cancellation on St Stephen's Day, the producer of the panto, Caroline Downey said "every avenue" had been explored to keep the show going but, having run out of options, the decision was taken to halt the pantomime, which had been scheduled to run until the end of next month.

Before Christmas, the Gaiety had expressed the hope it would be able to keep the show going with half capacity and new times to reflect the fact that all indoor events must be finished by 8pm.

However in a statement, the producers said it was “with great regret that due to Covid-related absences within the production and the rising case numbers nationally” all remaining performances between December 26th and January 23rd had been cancelled.

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“The entire cast, crew and creative involved in this production have poured their hearts and their many talents into this production,” Ms Downey said. “We want to assure our customers that every effort was made to avoid this situation.”

She said the production team had “explored every possible avenue to keep this very special show on stage but feel that there is no way that we can proceed as scheduled with certainty”.

She added that it was not a decision that had been taken lightly “but the cancellation of the remaining panto performances is necessary in order to protect this incredible group of people and their families”.

She expressed the hope that “by acting quickly, we will stop the spread and also give as much notice as possible to families who were planning their trips to the Gaiety this Christmas.”

All tickets bought over the phone or online for cancelled performances will be refunded automatically by Ticketmaster while those who paid cash for tickets can get refunds from the point of sale.

“We understand the disappointment that this will cause to families and children, and we apologise for any upset and inconvenience this has caused. Our highest priority is always the health and safety of our cast, crew, staff and audience. Thank you for your patience and understanding with this situation.”

She said the Panto would be returning next year with The Jungle Book.

Just before Christmas, Aladdin in the National Stadium was cancelled because of rising Covid-19 numbers while in Galway the annual Renmore Panto, which was scheduled to take place at the Town Hall Theatre, was cancelled because of Covid-19 as was the Dundalk Musical Society's performance of Cinderella.