Coronavirus: Melton Theatre and Regal Cinema close on safety advice

The entrance to Melton Theatre box office PHOTO: Tim Williams

It is in response to the announcement that public should avoid places such as pubs, clubs and gyms as the country looks to stop the spread of the virus.

An announcement on Melton Theatre’s website says: “Due to the circumstances surrounding Covid-19, all performances up to the end of May have been postponed or put on hold.

“As a result of this, the theatre and box office will be closed until further notice in order to protect the safety of staff and visitors.

“We are working hard to reschedule all postponed performances and all purchased tickets will remain valid for any rescheduled dates. For most of the shows, if you are unable to attend the rescheduled date, tickets will be refunded in line with our terms and conditions of sale.

“Performances on hold may continue to go ahead as planned pending further information regarding the ongoing government restrictions. We will contact ticket holders at the earliest opportunity.

“Thank you for your patience and support.

“Please also remember that you can still purchase tickets online for events taking place later in the year.

“See you after the interval!”

Regarding the Regal Cinema’s position, they say: “In light of the recent announcements and government guidance, we have now taken the difficult decision to close until further notice.

“We will not be producing a brochure for April and will keep you informed of when we will reopen through our social media pages and website - please follow us and check regularly.

“It has really touched us how many of you have reached out to offer to renew memberships early (even 11 months early!) and to buy gift vouchers to help support our business in these very uncertain times.

“The Regal means so much to so many and we are constantly reminded that the best thing about our business is our customers - your kind words have really cheered us up.

“Anyone who does wish to support us, you can join or renew as a member or buy a voucher from our website.

“Our thoughts go out to all our fellow small businesses who will be struggling at this difficult time.

“Thank you again. We will really miss you all in the coming weeks and look forward to seeing you and bringing wonderful films back to the Regal soon.”