THE show will go on at a Romsey theatre next month after more of society unlocked this week.

From yesterday (May 17), theatres and cinemas were just some of the industries allowed to reopen as part of England's roadmap out of lockdown.

The Prime Minister gave the green light for England to cautiously move forward to step three of the roadmap, which has also seen pubs, restaurants and cafes serving customers indoors for the first time since December.

Member of the Romsey Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society (RADOS) at the Plaza Theatre, councillor Neil Gwynne, believes it is safe enough for audiences to watch their Covid pantomime that will kick off from Friday, June 18.

He explained: "I have got no qualms about reopening because, with the vaccination programme and the infection rates being low, I think the risks we are talking about are very low.

"For some age groups, you're more at risk driving to the theatre than getting Covid-19 in the theatre.

"I just hope that audiences come back to the theatre as often as they did before and our members take part as often as they did before."

The former chair of RADOS said the theatre has sold nearly 300 tickets for Jack and the Beanstalk: A Covid Panto, which will run until Sunday, June 27.

He added: "It is a socially distanced pantomime, so we have taken all the rules into account and have written it specifically for the situation.

"We have already sold nearly 300 tickets without advertising it."

It was previously confirmed the show, co-written by Bob Heather and Georgette Ellison, would feature "romantic leads [who] are never allowed to touch" and a King rushing on stage to remind everybody of social distancing rules, according to a volunteer from the Romsey Amateur Operatic And Dramatic Society (RAODS), Kevin Cornmell.

This comes after RAODS chairman, Alan Rimmer, thanked the public for helping them smash their £10,000 fundraiser "well within the month" last year, which will help the group protect their reserves for the Plaza Theatre’s Future Project.

This will see the roof extended to create a higher building as part of their £550,000 plans.

The funds raised will help cover the theatre's running costs.

As reported, the Plaza was forced to close due to coronavirus meaning the theatre’s income plummeted for months in 2020.

The appeal was part of a national campaign, started by Theatres Trust, and ran for 28 days in total.

To book tickets for the pantomime, visit https://www.plazatheatre.com/index.php.