Last Christmas wasn’t usual (to put it mildly), but if we have discovered anything from the current situation it is how to adapt. This is exactly what we did in December as we offered our Virtual Christmas pantomime for Primary Schools, Special Needs schools and Corporate Christmas parties. Here we take a look at how it works and what it means for our future School Pantomime tours.
Performing virtually was certainly a very different experience for our actors and the audience – it turned out to be a massive success and a lot of fun – in a unique way. We performed from a state of the art (Covid safe) studio with a team of technicians to run all the techy stuff – that we as actors have very little clue about!!! Ensuring the smooth running of the entire show.
We had bookings with Primary Schools, Special Needs Schools and Corporate clients across the UK, Europe and Worldwide. Through the use of technology we were able to ensure that the show was as interactive as if we were actually there – making sure the Children and their families feel involved in the show and ensuring we achieve “active screen time” rather than “passive”. We booked in lots of shows throughout December and performed for thousands of families (Around 800 was our record for 1 performance!!!). We worked closely with each of our Clients to make the show personal to them, including specific jokes and shout-outs.
We adapted the show to make it work for camera’s and on a screen rather than live – which felt strange to begin with but we soon got into it and really enjoyed the relationship you can create with the audience even though they may be hundreds of miles away.
Moving forward I feel that there will be more call for Virtual Christmas Pantomimes in 2021 and beyond as the reach it has is unparalleled – in particular for any Corporate clients that operate across the UK or the World as they can get everyone together in “one place” at the same time.
This is why we will be offering our Virtual Pantomimes again in 2021 and if you are a School, Special needs school/ Charity, Corporate client or anyone looking to organise a Virtual pantomime – please do get in touch: info@playhouseparties.co.uk.
