PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
The Baxter suspends performances from 19 December 2020 to end January 2021, to help curb the rapid spread of COVID-19 cases in the Western Cape
With the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases in the Western Cape, The Baxter Theatre has taken the decision to suspend all performances over the festive season from 19 December 2020 to end January 2021. This is part of The Baxter’s commitment as a responsible theatre, to help fight the spread of the disease.
Productions which are impacted and which would have made up the summer programme are Living Coloured, Lottering in Lockdown and From Koe’siestes to Kneidlach – With Kids!.
Yusuf Daniels’ Living Coloured, adapted by Daniel Mphilo Richards and directed by Loukmaan Adams and Marc Lottering’s Lottering in Lockdown will end on Saturday 19, 2020. 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.
“I would like nothing more than to stand on The Baxter stage and entertain my fans,” says Lottering. “But right now, it’s more important for all of us to do the right thing and keep each other alive”.
“This was not an easy decision for us to make,” says Baxter CEO and artistic director, Lara Foot. “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.”
Patrons who have booked for Living Coloured and Lottering on Lockdown beyond 19 December, are encouraged to change their tickets for an earlier performance before this date, which can be done directly through Webtickets by requesting a refund and rebooking for a different date. The process is easy to follow.
To get a refund, patrons should simply 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.
The Baxter would like to remind patrons about its innovative and affordable financial sustainability drive which was launched when lockdown was first announced in March 2020. The Baxter Coffee Angels campaign has received encouraging support from the public and the theatre would like to renew its call for contributions by “buying The Baxter a cup of coffee every month.” It is simple and cost-effective. Patrons, theatre and arts lovers can donate as little as R30 a month (the price of a cup of coffee), or more (where possible), to ensure the iconic theatre’s financial sustainability during this time and into the future, by going to www.baxter.co.za.
ENDS
