This is the Guardian.

Today, oh no it isn't, oh yes it is.

The Christmas Panto season is crucial for the theatre industry,

but is it about to be ruined for a second year in a row?

The Christmas Panto season is crucial for the theatre industry.

Socks, give me socks and some Africa links.

Thank you. I'm not even got the bloody costume on yet.

When we got to the core theatre in Corby in Northamptonshire last week,

Britain had not yet been told to once again work from home

or to strictly limit social activity.

In the theatre there was anticipation.

A hive of activity, a cast of drag queens and a king in the basement

rehearsing for the opening night of their biggest show of the year.

The Christmas Panto mind sleeping beauty.

At the moment we've actually two shows running simultaneously,

two different sets of casts and crew kind of buzzing off each other and having fun.

That's Joe Flavin, the cause artistic director.

It was anxious as this year now feels.

Last year, he said, was far worse.

You go back a year ago and there was literally one staff member wandering around

an empty building, an empty theatre with nobody around,

letting the taps and flushing the toilets to make sure that everything was kept safe.

...