The curtain has closed on all shows at the Baxter Theatre during the festive season, due to the rise of Covid-19 cases in the Western Cape.
All performances at the Baxter Theatre from 19 December 2020 to the end of January 2021 will be suspended.
Spokesperson for the Baxter Theatre, Fahiem Stellenboom says the productions which would have made up the summer programme are Living Coloured, Lottering in Lockdown and From Koe’siestes to Kneidlach - With Kids!
Fahiem says: “Yusuf Daniels’ Living Coloured, adapted by Daniel Mphilo Richards and directed by Loukmaan Adams and Marc Lottering’s Lottering on Lockdown will end on Saturday 19 December. Chantal Stanfield’s From Koe’siestes to Kneidlach - With Kids!, which was due to start on 22 December, has been cancelled and is planned to return some time in 2021.”
Baxter CEO and artistic director, Lara Foot says they had no choice but to stop all production to help mitigate the risk of spreading the virus.
“As it is, we were closed for seven months of 2020, with a massive loss of income to the theatre and to artists. However, we must do what we can to help mitigate the risk of spreading the virus. When looking at the current pattern of increased infections in this established resurgence, we have no choice and keeping our spaces and public safe is imperative. We hope to welcome audiences back into our spaces where they will be able to enjoy these productions at a later stage and when it is safer to do so.”
Marc Lottering who was performing his first stage show for the year at the Baxter, Lottering on Lockdown says: “I would like nothing more than to stand on The Baxter stage and entertain my fans, but right now, it’s more important for all of us to do the right thing and keep each other alive”.
Patrons who have booked tickets for Living Coloured and Lottering on Lockdown beyond 19 December, are encouraged to change their tickets for an earlier performance before this date. This can be done directly through Webtickets by requesting a refund and rebooking for a different date.
To get a refund, patrons can log in to their Webtickets (www.webtickets.co.za) profile, click on “My Tickets”, then select the option “Refund Tickets” next to their ticket for the respective show booked. If payment was made via Pick n Pay or an Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT), follow the prompts to enter banking details and receive a confirmation email.