LPAC’s Christmas Productions Revised in Light of Tier 3 Restrictions
Augmented Reality App and Live Streaming Save Christmas Shows!

On Thursday 26 November the UK Government confirmed that Lincolnshire will move into tougher Tier 3 restrictions following the end of the second national lockdown on Wednesday 2 December 2020. Prior to the most recent lockdown, Tier 3 restrictions had not included live performance, and so it was hoped that Lincoln Performing Arts Centre (LPAC) would still be able to present a live performance experience for both A Distant Christmas and The Snow Hare in Winter this December. Consequently, with the inclusion of theatre amongst those restricted activities in the revised Tier 3, the Government’s announcement has had a profound impact on LPAC’s plans for Christmas.

However, despite the disappointment that they can no longer continue to offer a live performance experience, both productions will still go ahead, albeit in digital form.

These new digital offerings, whilst still a high-quality creative experiences, will come at a reduced price to reflect the change in format. A Distant Christmas is now purely app-based and will be free to download from Saturday 19 December 2020 until Sunday 31 January 2021 with a recommended donation of £8 towards the development costs. The Snow Hare in Winter, meanwhile, is now a specially staged production recorded for camera, which can be streamed online on demand from Thursday 24 December until Wednesday 6 January 2021. The new ticket price of £10 per rental, includes the option to double your ticket value with a donation to help support the venue and Under the Bed theatre company. The production is available on demand to stream for three days from the booking date, giving flexibility to audiences and the opportunity to watch several times.

Audiences who had already booked tickets for either A Distant Christmas or The Snow Hare in Winter, we will provide a full refund. Alternatively, they’re invited to support the arts centre by choosing to credit the ticket value for a future event or donate to LPAC’s community projects.

“Although we’re sad that we can no longer present the live element of A Distant Christmas, which would have seen actors providing a fun festive misguided tour through our city, the piece was always envisaged with the fall-back of an app-only experience in mind and so I’m confident that audiences will still enjoy this festive romance-mystery that provides a unique alternative to the traditional Christmas show. Our production teams for both shows continue to work extraordinarily hard in exceptional circumstances to create something truly magical this Christmas. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved for their resilience, adaptability, creativity and innovation. It is thanks to them that we are able to continue to find a way to bring the arts to you.”
Craig Morrow, Artistic Director, Lincoln Performing Arts Centre

“We are very excited to be bringing The Snow Hare in Winter to you in video form. Theatre in your own living room! We are already experienced in staging for camera so the shift from live to recorded is something that we are familiar with. We have been working hard with Lincoln Performing Arts Centre to capture the buzz of the theatre. We aim to make the show just as interactive and fun with lots of new original songs and funny characters, and ultimately offer a chance for families to experience a bit of Christmas magic. A trip to the theatre has never been so cosy!”
Josh Baldwin, Under the Bed Theatre

—Ends—

For interviews and images please contact:
Julie Ellerby
Marketing Manager
Lincoln Performing Arts Centre
jellerby@lincoln.ac.uk

Editor’s notes:

A Distant Christmas
Tickets: Free Download
Format: Augmented Reality App.
Available From: Saturday 19 December 2020 to 31 January 2021
Trail Starts: Lincoln City Centre
Trail Ends: Uphill Lincoln
Duration: approximately 1 hour 20 minutes*
Age: 10+

It is December 1918 and Kitty Hall is grieving the death of her sweetheart – killed in action in the last weeks of the War. But when he’s seen alive, walking the streets of Lincoln, Kitty and her friends set out on a quest to find him, searching across the city and hoping for a Christmas Miracle.

*A Distant Christmas takes approximately 1 hour 20 minutes to complete depending on length of time it takes you to find and travel to the various locations and uncover the clues to the next marker, so make sure you dress for the weather.

The Snow Hare in Winter
Tickets: £10 per household // £20 to double it with a donation.
Link active for three days from selected event date.
Format: Recorded Stage Production for Online Streaming
Available From: 24 December 2020 to 6 January 2021 (Christmas Eve to Twelfth Night). Last rental booking is 6 January.
Duration: 45 minutes
Age: 3 – 7 years

Lumi knows all about the Snow Hare and she wants nothing more than to find him. She knows that his fur transforms brilliant white each winter, to match his surroundings, and that if you see him, he will grant you a wish. But it hasn’t snowed for a long, long time….

Join Lumi on her adventure as she searches for her Christmas wish and meets new friends along the way in this heart-warming story with joyous songs and silly characters.

Essentially, a home rental of a pre-recorded and edited full stage production for young audiences. The streaming link gives access for three days from the selected event date, giving more flexibility on when you watch and the option to watch more than once within that timeframe.