Safety fears see curtain fall on city panto

A LONG tradition of pantomime by the Florians drama club will be broken this year due to safety concerns at their theatre in Inverness.

The club has had to pull the plug on their production of Ali Baba after concerns were raised about seating at the venue in Bught Avenue.

Problems were identified following its recent showing of Little Shop of Horrors.

Club secretary Stephen Vincent said the decision had not been taken lightly but safety was paramount.

New seating was installed at the theatre a year ago but it was found that the flooring had fractured and given way under some seats.

Mr Vincent said: “Fortunately no-one was hurt and we may not even have been fully aware as the carpet concealed the extent of the damage.

“When the problem came to light during cleaning after the recent show we investigated and are left with no option but to cancel this year’s panto.”

The event is always a highlight of the festive season for many families and the 95-seat theatre is always sold out for the 10 nights of the show.

Tickets were already on sale but these are being refunded.

Mr Vincent said: “The new seating is in rows of seven which are supported by two legs. The system is in itself very strong and in use in many theatres.

“But the combined weight of seven people puts considerable strain on the floor and supporting legs and further strengthening is required for a permanent safe solution.”

He added the panto was always a money-spinner for the club but they had enough reserves to meet the costs of the work.

The news will be disappointing for hundreds of theatre-goers plus the cast of nearly 25 including members of the Junior Florians who would have formed the bulk of Ali Baba’s posse of thieves.

In more happy festive news The Victorian Market in Inverness is set to sparkle this Christmas thanks to donated lights from the city's Eastgate Shopping Centre.

The shopping centre, which will be displaying a new range of reindeer-themed decorations this Christmas, got into the true spirit of Christmas by putting the existing ones to good use.

Centre manager Jackie Cuddy said the Victorian Market seemed an obvious choice.

"We have always believed that a city centre is only as good as the parts it is made up of," she said.

"The Victorian Market has as big a part to play in the vitality of the city centre as Eastgate Centre.

"In addition, it is always good to recycle and refurbish decorations especially when they can be utilised for the benefits of the local community elsewhere."

Market manager Jo Murray said it was an exceptionally generous gift and thanked Ms Cuddy for her support.

"We could not have afforded this type of internal decoration otherwise," she said. "It goes to show how collaborative working among Inverness city centre businesses can benefit the public for the least amount of expense."