Strictly's Anton du Beke and Giovanni Pernice opened an Ipswich theatre's first live show in more than a year.
Ipswich Regent saw Anton & Giovanni's joint tour open with rave reviews from the almost 1,000-strong audience on Wednesday.
In a survey undertaken by Ipswich Borough Council with the audience last night more than eight out of ten felt “comfortable or extremely comfortable with their visit” and all rated their overall experience “excellent or very good”.
Members of the audience also said they “felt very safe, staff were very helpful and friendly and show was just incredible, so nice to be back!” and that the Regent Theatre is “extremely easy to enter venue and sufficient sanitiser around. Staff friendly and approachable.”
Sarah Barber, portfolio holder for town centre, at Ipswich Borough Council said: “It’s great so many came to the reopening of the theatre and to see a great show.
“I’m also pleased people are happy with the measures we have taken to keep audiences safe, including enhanced cleaning, contactless payment, improvements to the building's air ventilation system, NHS Test & Trace QR Codes available to scan on arrival and audiences strongly encouraged to wear masks in all public areas.
“I look forward to seeing you at the Regent Theatre.”
Next to take to the stage will be Rumours of Fleetwood Mac, a tribute to the iconic band, on August 21.
Musical theatre Hairspray will also be coming to Ipswich from the West End from August 23 to 28. Brenda Edwards plays Motormouth Maybelle and Norman Pace as the mild-mannered Wilbur Turnblad.
This fun-filled, feel good show is bursting with show-stopping numbers, dazzling costumes, and dizzying dance-routines.
It features some of musical theatre’s biggest and best hit songs, including Welcome to the 60s, You Can’t Stop The Beat and Good Morning Baltimore. Hairspray is the hilarious, joyous, and uplifting musical that everyone needs right now. Hairspray is running at the Regent from August 23-28.
Tickets for all Regent shows can be booked on the Regent website
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here