‘Donate’ supports the Princess Theatre

Readers will have noticed the ‘Donate’ adverts that have been appearing in Town and Around. Organised by Richard Bird, funds are raised from the disposal of unwanted vehicles/MOT failures and the proceeds are donated to local charities and good causes. To date projects including Little Lights Baby and Toddler Group, Rollason Stage School and a school swimming pool fund have been supported.

Most recently a cheque for £250 was presented to the Princess Theatre.

There was a time, not so long ago, when the Princess stood empty and the future looked bleak. London’s West End theatre venues remain closed as a result of Covid-19 and sadly some of them will face the final curtain this year. Many theatres have cancelled their pantomime season for 2020 including the King’s Lynn Corn Exchange and Norwich Theatre Royal. But not the Princess, where the show will go on with a Tony Peers production of Mother Goose. The show runs from 19^th December to 1st January 2021.

The Princess has resumed film screenings and live shows, all of which adhere to government guidelines and are socially distanced, but of course with fewer people at each performance the revenue has been reduced. However, the bills still have to be paid. The ‘Support the Princess Theatre’ fundraising initiative began in August to help the venue stay open and meet the challenges and uncertainty posed by the pandemic.

Local theatres are at the heart of communities and since the Princess re-opened in 2011, with a vision to become a thriving home of entertainment and a place to socialise, it has become the cultural hub of the town, and a venue that all local residents can be proud of.

The Princess Theatre has itself raised thousands for charities including the Air Ambulance, Save the children, MacMillan, Breast Cancer, the St Edmund’s Society, Help for Heroes, Children in Need and the Gurkha Trust, and now they need the support of the local community.

You can make a donation at: uk.gofundme.com/f/support-the-princess-theatre