Herefordshire arts centre The Courtyard is to release a live recording of its 2019 Christmas panto Cinderella.
The production received four nominations in the Great British Pantomime Awards. Lyndsay Maples was nominated for best script, Herbie Kinsey for best newcomer, Melanie Stevens for best villain (female) and the cast for best ensemble.
Cinderella will première on The Courtyard's YouTube channel on Sunday 12 April at 6PM for free. It will be available to watch for a further seven days.
The Courtyard prides itself on producing, writing and directing its professional annual pantomime in-house. Many members of the cast return to The Courtyard year after year. Writer Lyndsay Maples and director Estelle van Warmelo have been working together on the productions for more than 10 years.
The Courtyard's chief executive Ian Archer said, “we’re distraught at having to close our doors. The Courtyard is first and foremost a community venue, so we wanted to play our part in connecting audiences and communities in a different way.
“We're so glad to be able to offer everyone a chance to see this magical production of Cinderella. We want to be here to help heal our community, spread some joy and bring us together again when all this is over. In the meantime we’ll keep thinking of ways to do this virtually.”
The Courtyard has also teamed up with Feral Productions to provide creatives and community members with a platform on which they can showcase their work. Entries can be viewed at The Courtyard’s web site as well as on the arts centre's social media channels.