THE boss of a not-for-profit theatre group has hailed a new production as the”light at the end of the tunnel” after dealing with the “dark times” of the coronavirus pandemic.

Yesterday, Cosmic Studio Theatre kicked off the first of 40 panto shows across the weekend at the Old Town Hall in Carlisle city centre.

If the shoe fits... follows the Cinderella story, but with a modern twist.

Cinderella’s father Barron Hardup brings home his new bride and her daughters before going off on a business trip, leaving his daughter Cinderella to make them welcome.

“It is brought up-to-date and is in the perspective of the stepmother who comes on to the usual boos,” explained Wendy, artistic director at Cosmic Studio Theatre.

“Cinderella is left on her own with the talking animals and stepsisters.

“She tells her stepmother, but she has never seen them before so she thinks Cinderella is a strange girl.

“She doesn’t allow her to go to the ball because she has a sore throat and cough, which really links in with what is happening now.”

Performances will be made to feel as immersive as possible, with the audience greeted by characters as they arrive.

Each show caters for one family of up to six people and will be adapted to the audience.

“It’s absolutely brilliant to be back,” continued Wendy.

“After we went into Tier Two it was just after we closed Bad Wolf and when we got this show, we thought we wouldn’t get the chance to do it.

“Then Discover Carlisle emailed and said, ‘do you want to do it?’ and we said, ‘okay’.

“We had the idea, but we’ve only had a couple of weeks to put it together. It is a thoroughly professional show.

“Big thanks to Carlisle City Council for allowing us to do this and for providing work and having a really Covid-secure and lovely setting for families to come.

“It is just one ticket and it is like you are sat in your living room with a full stage in front of you.”

Wendy said the pandemic had been difficult for the group.

“It’s been scary, because we thought, can we keep going?” she said.

"We’ve had some very low days, but this has been the light at the end of the tunnel.

“We also run the Rocket Theatre group and we’ve been able to come back with smaller classes, so you have to work twice as hard for the same number of children.”

Tickets can be bought at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/if-the-shoe-fits-tickets-131012755679#

They are priced at £32.93 per show.