We're standing by and we will see you very soon

Following the government announcement over the weekend, we will be temporarily closing our doors tonight, along with the rest of the theatre industry, until Thursday 3 December.

As a charity, the financial implications of having to close for a second time are significant, having already suffered a substantial financial loss this year. We need to raise £100,000 to help fill the gap to ensure we can continue all of our vital work in the community and to safeguard our programme of the best theatre, comedy, music, dance and films. We need your support right now to protect the Corn Exchange. Can you help by making a donation to our Save Your Corn Exchange: Fund the Future campaign?

Having now received guidance from the DCMS, we are very pleased to say that we are able to rehearse our pantomime and, with a slightly later opening date than originally planned, Aladdin will be going ahead. If you haven’t already arranged your tickets, we would urge you to book quickly to avoid disappointment. With the restricted capacity this year they are selling fast! Last week we rebuilt our auditorium seating with new seats with individual armrests, more space between each row, and Perspex screens which are placed between household groups. We have had some brilliant feedback from the first audiences to use them – take a look at the pictures below.

We will be moving most of our workshops and classes online to enable everyone to stay creative from their homes. You can take a look at what is coming up over the next week here.

Over at The Base, I am pleased to say that we have managed to secure an additional week of Quentin Blake and John Yeoman: 50 Years of Children’s Books. If you haven’t already been to see this joyful and evocative exhibition, it will now run until Sunday 13 December. It is open Wednesday to Sunday and you can book your tickets and select your timeslot online here.

We would also encourage you to keep some space free in your diary from 11 to 13 December so you can join us for a beautiful, festive celebration. While our usual lantern procession will not be possible this year, we will be inviting you to book a slot to follow our Lantern Trail through Newbury town centre where you will discover stunning large lanterns made by artists from across the country, displayed alongside an array of lanterns made by members of our local community. We’ll be releasing more information about how you can get involved very soon so keep an eye out on our website.

Thank you once again for your continued support and understanding during this challenging time. I wish you and your families well and look forward to welcoming you back to the Corn Exchange very soon.