Towngate Theatre in Basildon has announced its festive pantomime, Beauty and the Beast, will be postponed until next year due to Covid-19.

Emma Palmer caught up with star, director and producer of the venue’s annual Christmas showcase, Simon Fielding who (as anyone who has even seen him in action will understand) was able to put his own unique positive spin on a very trying situation…

This Christmas will be a strange one for Simon Fielding.

For the first time in almost three decades the amiable actor who brings joy to so many south Essex families each year, will for once be able to spend time with his own young children.

He should be spending the whole of December and a good chunk of January stomping around the stage of the Towngate Theatre as he has done every year since 2007 - but Covid-19 has pulled the curtain on that.

Panto season is gruelling, even for seasoned stalwarts like Simon. Since the 46-year-old took over the helm of the Basildon panto 13 years ago and turned the fortunes of the theatre around, his own Christmasses have been sacrificed for the love of a very appreciative audience.

He lives, eats and breathes it each year. He gets the train home to London every night after each high-octane show (sometimes three in row). One year he got so tired he fell asleep with his head in his (birthday) dinner!

But this year, he’ll finally be able to put his feet up. Though it will be with a heavy heart.

Just like the majority of pantos in the UK, the Towngate’s seasonal offering, Beauty and the Beast will have to wait until Christmas 2021.

“This is the first Christmas I will have had off in 27 years! I have always worked constantly over the festive season,” said the Bolton-born actor.

“It’s going to be strange and I’ll be sad to not be performing at the Towngate every day but the silver lining is that I can spend Christmas with my family for once.

"I have two little girls and they are just about getting to the age where they know who Santa is, so it’s a magical time.”

Simon and his team tried every which way to make the panto happen - they spent hours brainstorming ideas and holding meetings to see how they could keep the panto on while at the same time abiding by the government Covid-19 restrictions.

He said: “We went through everything - from working out if socially distanced seating could work, to having schoolchildren in at a certain time, to altering the show’s actual schedule to changing the choreography on stage.

"You name it we thought of it.”

Simon added: “I was adamant that if there was one theatre that could make it work it was ours.

"We tried for so long and I went to endless meetings trying to put a positive spin on things, saying ‘we can do this!’ but at the end of the day we just couldn’t do it.

"I have to say though, the support we’ve had from Basildon Council has been amazing. There’s just nothing anyone could do.

“I’m gutted though. I so wanted to bring some cheer to children after everything that’s happened. We all need a laugh now more than ever.”

Staging a panto while social distancing measures are in effect and restrictions apply even to singing in public, was never going to be a cakewalk.

Simon explained: “We just don’t have a big enough theatre to sell so many fewer seats. It’s more complicated than people realise. Also, our pantomime is a real family event. Who is going to bring their grandparents this year?”

It’ll be no surprise to Towngate panto regulars that Simon had plenty of ‘socially distancing’ jokes and gags planned for the performance, but they will keep.

After headlining the theatre’s panto for so long as well as producing and directing it, Simon has become an honorary ‘Basildonian’ and has a genuine affection for the town.

“I write the panto for Basildon - for the people. It’s unique in that sense, it’s the only one we do. We’re not taking it around to other theatres. We have people who come every year, like clockwork who book the same seats.

There’s a family who come along every year on Boxing Day and we know them now - they literally howl with laughter. They make the show.

“I’m so proud of what we have done with Beauty and the Beast so far and I can promise you next year it will be even better than ever because we would have had a lot more time to perfect it. It’s very orchestral and magical and we have added some exciting changes - though we will still stay true to our winning formula.”

As a professional actor Simon is concerned about how the theatre industry will cope as a result of the lockdown.

“I have many colleagues in the business and people don’t realise how serious it is. I know a brilliant theatre manager who has just taken up a job as a cleaner.

It’s not just actors who will be out of work after all this but theatre backstage staff and theatre crews as well.

“But as performers we tend to be resilient. We have to be in this industry as you get a lot of knock-backs. I would urge people to help theatres through this crisis if they can.

"One way they can do that is if you have bought tickets for our show please accept equivalent tickets for next year. And when theatres do reopen please go along and show your support - see anything!”