J'AIME OCTOBER 2020

F E AT U R E
The show WILL go on
A LICHFIELD-BASED THEATRE PRODUCTION COMPANY ISN’T ALLOWING A GLOBAL
PANDEMIC TO STOP ITS SHOWS. JENNY AMPHLETT HAS BEEN FINDING OUT MORE
Many industries have been decimated by Covid-19,
but few more so than the arts. It’s hard to stage
any sort of performance if you can’t open a venue,
assemble an audience or even allow your performers
to stand anywhere near to one another.
Theatres across the world have had to close their
doors, cancel or postpone programmes and, at best,
offer live streamed performances for audiences to
watch from the comfort of their sofa at home.
A handful of brave, entrepreneurial types have
found ways to adapt and continue to offer live
performances safely. Lichfield-based Let Me In,
which was launched just last year by Chris Buckle
and Martin Pritchard, is one of them.
Chris and Martin have already staged one sell-out
production since the beginning of lockdown and
have another planned for November.
The secrets to their success? Being willing and able
to adapt, having great contacts in the industry and
setting out with a passion to deliver live theatre
rather than a passion to make a large profit.
“We were meant to be touring a musical in March
of this year and had to cancel that, but it wasn’t long
before we were thinking of ways to overcome the
challenges,” said Chris, who also works full-time in
the telecommunications industry.
Chris and Martin, whose day job is head of scenery
at Lichfield’s Garrick Theatre, are used to adapting
for different locations for each of their Let Me In
shows. So it didn’t take them long to come up with
the idea of a socially distanced performance - for
actors and audience alike - in an outdoor location.
Their all-female production of Lord of the Flies was
sold out throughout its outdoor run in the grounds of
Woodhouse Farm and Garden in Whittington.
It was Let Me In’s first ever outdoor production - and
the first where they asked audience members to bring
their own seats with them to help with hygiene and
safety precautions.
There was a maximum capacity of 100 people at
each performance, with audience members seated in
LICHFIELD THEATRE COMPANY
LET ME IN STAGED A SELL-OUT
OUTDOOR PRODUCTION OF LORD
OF THE FLIES DURING LOCKDOWN
household bubbles and admission allowed an hour
before the show to help people to take their seats
safely.
Chris and Martin also took the bold step of making
the ticket price whatever people could afford to pay,
or free if they couldn’t afford to pay.
“In the current economy and situation we all find
ourselves in we want theatre to be accessible for all,”
said Chris. “Admission to our production of Lord
of the Flies was free - with donations very welcome
from those who could afford to do so.
“It was a very easy decision to make and one that
we took early on when we thought about the many
things people would have going on in their lives.
We’ve always wanted our work to be accessible, and
particularly so for families.
“It was a bit of a gamble because we still had
production costs to cover, but we decided that it
wouldn’t be the end of the world if we took a bit of
a hit.”
40