Fakenham's FADLOS back with Covid-secure show Chicago

A Fakenham theatre group are determinedly pressing ahead with rehearsals for their upcoming Covid-secure production of Chicago the Musical.

Fakenham and District Light Operatic Society (FADLOS) are set to take to the stage at Fakenham Community Centre between December 8-12.

With the current Lockdown due to end on December 2, the award-winning amateur theatrical company has gone to extraordinary lengths to stage this hugely popular musical.

An exhaustive risk assessment running to 24 pages has been completed, and the show has been completely reconfigured to ensure social distancing can be maintained for the cast, musicians and of course the audience.

Director and FADLOS chairman, Ben Francis said: "The show, which is the East Anglian amateur premier, was due to be performed in May and rehearsals began way back in January.

"We had planned for a spectacular musical with the most demanding dance routines we had ever attempted, but of course the pandemic hit and we had to make some very tough choices."

He added: "The cast was slimmed down to permit social distancing, those amazing dance routines had to be dropped and we had to relocate the band to a purpose-built platform at the rear of the stage to help protect the musicians and the cast."

The usual 242 seat capacity has been drastically reduced to 20 cabaret-style round tables, with a one-way system designed for show nights. They also plan to have several marshals on hand to ensure proper use of face coverings and that social distancing measures are adhered to.

Ben added: "We will make a substantial loss, but we have been fortunate to be able to build up some cash reserves over recent years thanks to the wonderful support of the audiences and businesses of Fakenham.

"We had intended to invest this money to continue to improve the stage area and theatre lighting at the Community Centre, but acting now to help preserve the arts for our local community is far, far more important!"

Tables can be pre-booked via the FADLOS Box Office which opens on 16th November. Tickets are £10 per person, phone the Box Office on 07500 043001 to book, or email info@fadlos.co.uk.

Full details regarding the show and its Covid-related restrictions can be found at www.fadlos.co.uk.