Peterborough’s Cresset theatre to stage first socially distanced live performance

The Cresset, in Rightwell, Bretton, is to host performances by BBC Strictly Come Dancing stars Kevin Clifton and Joanne Clifton under new guidelines for indoor performances.

Tickets for An Evening with Kevin & Joanne Clifton, which will take place in November, will go on sale from Monday (September 7).

Organisers say a special socially distanced seating plan has been devised in order to keep the 220-strong audience safe.

And it will also be possible to book VIP tickets that offer a socially distanced meet and greet with the stars before the show.

A spokesperson for the Cresset said: “As we understand this is the first theatre event to be announced in Peterborough that will be operating under the new guidelines for indoor performances, so we’re very excited.”

Theatres across the UK were ordered to shut their doors as part of the nationwide lockdown enforced in March as a way of slowing the spread of coronavirus.

The closure order was lifted last month.

Penny Hansen, Head of Commercial Activity at The Cresset, said: “We’re delighted to be able to host this very special event, and can’t wait to welcome audiences back to The Cresset.

“We’ve spent a lot of time working through how we can stage events safely within the government guidelines, and hope to announce more events in the near future.

She added: “We’ve had to significantly reduce our capacity to comply with social distancing which means that we will only be able to accommodate around 220 per performance.

“We’ve worked hard in the background to ensure the safety of everyone and have developed a full event management plan which ensures social distancing throughout, using queue management, one way systems and a carefully controlled seating plan.”

An Evening with Kevin & Joanne Clifton is billed as an intimate show which has been specially produced for a socially distanced audience. The talented siblings will sing songs from their CD, tell stories of their dancing lives and perform some of your favourite Ballroom and Latin dances with their professional dance partners.

Due to scheduling restrictions, this will be the only chance to catch the duo on tour together.

The event producers, Strictly Theatre Co. said: “This production is suitable for a socially distanced audience and is being created and toured with the audience, theatre staff, cast and crew safety at the forefront.”

Two performances are scheduled at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on November 14, with tickets going on sale from 10am on Monday, September 7.

All ticket information and details on how Socially Distanced events will work is available at www.cresset.co.uk.