Peterborough Drama Festival for 2021 cancelled

The decision to cancel taken by the organising committee is due entirely to uncertainty and problems arising from the current coronavirus epidemic.

A spokesperson for the Festival Committee said: “Preparations for our annual Festival usually start in June when we discuss themes, plan the syllabus and book our professional adjudicators. Sadly, it has not been possible to hold these preliminary meetings because of Covid19, and we have no way of knowing if we will all be able to gather safely again by the beginning of March.”

In recent years, the Festival has regularly attracted up to 500 performances using a wide range of theatre disciplines such acting, mime, choral speaking, story-telling, prepared speech and original poems, so this was a very difficult decision for the committee to make.

“There will be many disappointed young people who have been looking forward to showing off their skills, but the safety of children, parents, teachers and committee must come first.”

The Drama Festival has been a part of the local scene for the last ninety years having begun in 1929 as part of a joint music, dance and spoken-word festival. The drama section of the Festival separated from dance and music in 1945.

Since that time, it has thrived. Many of the young performers have made their career in professional theatre, several on the West End stage.

In the Festival’s long history, it has only been cancelled twice before - on both occasions because of deep snow - so this was a very difficult decision for the committee to make.”

The Festival Committee are encouraging would-be performers and their teachers to keep up-to-date by visiting the Festival’s website or Facebook pages. Members of the committee are willing to help in any way if regular-participating schools wish to hold their own “in-house festivals” in line with new and changing pandemic rules over the next year.