Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury to present socially distanced pantomime

The Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury will present a pantomime this winter.

Performed by Marlowe panto stalwart Ben Roddy, the piece, Nurse Nellie Saves Panto, is co-produced with Evolution Productions and it will be written and directed by Paul Hendy.

Presented to a socially distanced audience from 11 December to 3 January, it means the Marlowe is one of the few venues able to go ahead with its festive production this year while most shows remain unviable.

The Marlowe has had to postpone its previously scheduled 2020 production of Jack of the Beanstalk. Chief cxecutive Deborah Shaw said: "We said at the time we postponed Jack and the Beanstalk that we would find a way to keep the madcap spirit of pantomime alive this Christmas and I am delighted to say that Nurse Nellie has come clattering to the rescue in her size 9s!. It's going to be a small but perfectly-formed fun-packed present to local families at the end of this horrible year. We're hoping it will become a ‘collectors item' for panto-lovers. We're also happy to be playing a vital part in supporting local businesses, by bringing audiences into Canterbury during the festive period."