Families on low incomes are being offered discounted pantomime tickets this Christmas in an attempt to make the theatre more accessible.
Westlands Entertainment Venue in Yeovil has released 1,000 £3 tickets for its production of Aladdin through its Accessible Ticket Scheme.
It comes as theatres across the West of England rely on government funding, crowd funders and community takeover bids to keep their doors open.
Adam Burgan, arts and entertainment manager at Somerset Council, said: “Sometimes panto tickets can just feel out of reach and we want to make sure families get to experience it.”
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“We’ve had a huge response from families saying it made a huge difference to them, when before they felt it wasn’t for them and wasn’t something they could afford,” he added.
While the accessible ticket scheme was launched in 2024 thanks to £760,000 funding by Arts Council England and Somerset Council to the Octagon Theatre for 2023-2026, this is the first time that 1,000 discounted tickets have been made available.
The Octagon Theatre’s programme and events have temporarily moved to Westlands Entertainment Venue after the venue shut in May 2023 for a £30m renovation.
The original plan was later scrapped due to rising costs but a smaller scale redevelopment scheme was approved in February..
Burgan said he was aware the cost of living crisis had been hitting some families and the council had been “working really hard to try and remove barriers” so everyone could “come and enjoy”.
“This is our way of ensuring everyone has the opportunity to experience the magic of pantomime and create special festive memories,” he added.
Who is eligible?
Available to anyone with low-income status, people will need to show evidence of being on the following:
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Free school meals / pupil premium
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Working tax credit (low-income category)
Alternative evidence including references from a teacher, house association officer, or social worker, can also be submitted.
‘How do I apply?’
Those wishing to join the accessible ticket scheme are told to apply by filling out an online application form on the Somerset Council website.
Anyone struggling to apply online can do so by contacting the Octagon outreach team directly.
Once completed, the council will be in touch with applicants on the outcome.
Once accepted onto the scheme, those successful will be able to book the subsidised tickets to selected performances, including Aladdin.
The council said tickets for the pantomime are subject to availability, with early application and booking strong encouraged.
‘Panto is a banker’
It is not just families who are feeling the impact of the cost of living crisis.
Across the board, theatres in the region said it was having a pinch on their pockets, including the Taunton Brewhouse Theatre which closed in October due to serious financial difficulties.
Elsewhere, The Bristol Improv Theatre, which was first established in 2012, also said it would close with immediate effect after it was in a “very difficult and precarious financial position”.
The Cheltenham Playhouse previously said it was relying on a fundraising campaign to stay open.
Katie Champion, a senior reporter at the Stage, a monthly magazine and website dedicated to theatre and performing arts in the UK, said it was a “really tricky time” and venues were balancing “costs and trying to get people in”.
“I had heard that one theatre had to cancel their free performance for school kids after funding got pulled, which is really sad,” she said.
“Panto is a banker and often the biggest performance of the year and it’s really interesting to hear this discounted ticket scheme.
“Any way to get people through the doors is a good thing,” she added.
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