Parents and audiences are being assured that exemplary safety measures will be in place for the upcoming pantos at Cork Opera House and the Everyman.
Panto season is underway but was thrown into doubt after Health Minister Stephen Donnelly advised that children avoid major public events such as panto as Christmas comes into focus amidst the latest Covid-19 wave.
In response to the Minister's comments many of Ireland's largest Panto producers and promoters have come together to assure the public that they have every measure in place to ensure the safety pf all patrons who attend the Panto.
In an average year, the Panto season is responsible for selling in excess of 310,000 tickets to patrons all over the country, bringing in approximately €9.8 million in revenue and provides significant employment for up to 1000 professional artists, creatives and production crews.
“We have put every measure in place to ensure the safety of all patrons who attend Panto," says Eibhlín Gleeson, CEO of Cork Opera House. "We care deeply about the safety of our patrons and very much understand that we have a responsibility to the people who attend our shows - this is something that we take very seriously. To this end, some of the measures we will take include checking vaccination certs and ID's at the door, following the regulations set out for the hospitality industry in our bars and social areas, together with safely managing the flow of patrons throughout our venues.”
Speaking to RedFM News Sophie Motley of the Everyman says patrons of all ages will be asked to wear masks for the duration of the show and and they will be checking Covid certs and ID's at the door in order to safely manage the flow of patrons throughout the venue.
"It is going to be safe.
"We've been working very hard since the theatre opened in September to gradually build up our regulations and the numbers of people going in.
"We have very, very strict and effective regulations in place, which involve things like vaccine cert checks, alongside ID, mask wearing, a very controlled journey into the theatre.
"Our panto was planned this year without an interval, so there's no need to get up in the middle of the show unless you need to go to the toilet.
"We're really excited to be welcoming children back into the Everyman for the panto this year."
