Trick or treating might be off the cards this year, but that needn’t mean missing out on Halloween altogether. On Friday 23 and Saturday 24 October, the spooky spirit will be kept alive in Coventry with a raucous and deliciously dark new tale in Dr Blood’s Old Travelling Show.
Specially created in response to ongoing covid restrictions, this innovative outdoor production will be the first theatre show to be staged live at the Belgrade Theatre since lockdown began in March. Each performance will have a limited capacity and socially distanced audiences, in line with current safety guidelines.
Inspired by classic horror movies and the long traditions of carnival and medicine shows, this story of mischief and immorality sees Dr Blood and his motley crew explore the costs of pursuing ambition, hypocrisy and greed.
Developed by imitating the dog and co-produced by Leeds Playhouse, this new collaboration follows the success of their critically acclaimed Night of the Living Dead ™- Remix, a stage adaptation of George A. Romero’s classic zombie movie.
Live performance will be combined with video projection in this unique outdoor experience, drawing on imitating the dog’s wealth of theatrical and technical acumen. and Heart of Darkness, the last of which ran at the Belgrade in 2019.
The Belgrade has signed up to UK Theatre’s See It Safely initiative, and will be carefully following the latest government guidelines to ensure the safety of both staff and audiences. Tickets may be purchased in fixed groups of up to 6 people, and each group will be socially distanced during the show. Face masks must be worn throughout the performance except by those exempt on the grounds of disability or other mental or physical health conditions – further information can be found on the Belgrade’s website at www.belgrade.co.uk.
Imitating the dog Co-Artistic Director Andrew Quick said: “It’s a strange time to be making a new show but we are really looking forward to meeting the new challenges of creating work in the present conditions. We felt it was important to keep going and create a piece that was not only magical and entertaining but will abide by social distancing guidance and be COVID 19 safe. It will be a challenge to make but it is a hugely entertaining production that is scary in parts but also full of fun, with some deep and dark themes running through it. We’ll be using screen and camera technologies for which we are known and I just can’t wait for us all to come together again and experience all the joys of live theatre outdoors.”
