Ambassador Theatre Group have announced that all tickets for the first performance of their pantomimes, produced by Qdos Entertainment in Manchester, Bristol, Milton Keynes, Stoke-on-Trent and Birmingham will be gifted to NHS workers and their families.
Mark Cornell, CEO at Ambassador Theatre Group said today “The Ambassador Theatre Group is delighted to be showing pantomimes in five of our venues in Bristol, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Stoke and Birmingham this Christmas, thanks to the support of The National Lottery. ATG and its staff are also inviting our magnificent NHS and their families to the first performance at each venue free of charge. We hope that this small gesture shows how incredibly grateful we all are for what the NHS has done for this country”.
NHS workers just need to head to healthservicediscounts.com and register for the ballot.
The productions are able to go ahead thanks to the support of The National Lottery, giving thousands of theatregoers in each city and across the country the chance to enjoy socially distanced pantomimes this Christmas. This initiative between The National Lottery and Qdos Entertainment is providing financial support for theatres to stage socially distanced live pantomimes making it viable for venues to open their doors to the general public, generating vital income for the theatre and helping to restore jobs whilst also providing much needed cheer.
Sleeping Beauty at the Manchester Opera House will star Jason Manford as Muddles, Billy Pearce as King Billy, Jodie Prenger as The Enchantress, Eric Potts as The Queen, Louis Gaunt as The Prince and Lauren Chia as Princess Beauty and will run from Saturday 12 December 2020 – Sunday 3 January 2021.
Robin Hood at the Bristol Hippodrome will star Craig Revel Horwood as The Sheriff of Nottingham alongside Matt Slack as Robin Hood, Richard Cadell & Sooty, Andrew Ryan as Nancy the Cook, Landi Oshinowo as Morgiana and Nicola Meehan as the Spirit of Sherwood and will run from Friday 18 December 2020 – Sunday 10 January 2021.
This production will also play the Birmingham Alexandra Theatre with the same cast from Friday 15 – Sunday 31 January 2021 and is presented in association with the Birmingham Hippodrome.
Sleeping Beauty at Milton Keynes Theatre will star Lee Mead as The Prince, Claire Sweeney as Carabosse, Suzanne Shaw as The Enchantress, Pete Firman as Muddles, Allan Stewart as The Queen, Andy Gray as The King, Will Jennings as Slimeball and Tegan Bannister as Princess Beauty alongside and will run from Saturday 19 December 2020 – Sunday 10 January 2021.
Robinson Crusoe at Stoke-on-Trent’s Regent Theatre will star Jonathan Wilkes as Robinson Crusoe and Christian Patterson as Mrs Crusoe and will run from Saturday 19 December 2020.