Express & Star

Bridgnorth theatre ready to take first Step back to normality

A Shropshire theatre director says he is thrilled at the prospect of being able to hold a first live show since March last year, after the government announced plans to lift the remaining Covid restrictions.

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Iain Reddihough, artistic director at the Theatre on the Steps in Bridgnorth

Bridgnorth's Theatre on the Steps has been closed since March 14 last year, when it hosted its final pre-lockdown performance from the comic Shazia Mirza.

Now plans are afoot to reopen, with two nights of 'Killer Rhapsody – The Queen Experience' on July 23 and 24 – after the Government lifts all restrictions on July 19.

Iain Reddihough, artistic director at the theatre, said they would be making a decision on issues such as mask wearing for the venue after further guidance from the Government and the Department of Culture ahead of reopening.

He said that they were delighted to be making preparations for their for their first show back.

"As an organisation it is great that we are able to reopen and I think for the industry that will be a big, much needed boost," he said.

"So many have been closed for such a long time and the fact they are now able to open with minimal restrictions will be a great thing for the industry and for people as well."

Mr Reddihough said that the theatre had remained closed in recent months even though restrictions had been relaxed, owing to the fact they would not make enough money operating the venue at a reduced capacity.

He said: "We have not been open even though they reduced restrictions, mainly because it would be uneconomical to do so, and our audience while under restrictions would mean we could only have a third capacity, which would not make it viable to open.

"So this will be the first time we will had a live audience watching a live show for a long long time."

Mr Reddihough said that after closing on March 14 last year they had no idea it would have been 16 months before they reopened.

He said: "We thought okay, it would be a couple of months and then back - maybe three or six months - but never in our wildest nightmares did we think it would be this long before we reopened again."

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