Oh yes they are: drive-in pantomimes salvage Christmas tradition

With winds over 35 miles an hour and sideways rain, an outdoor pantomime on the Isle of Skye was always going to demand some creative stage management.

But Daniel Cullen, producer of the island’s first drive-in panto – a production of the Grimms’ fairytale Rapunzel, with a Scottish twist – is confident he can reach an accommodation with the wintry weather.

There will be “contingency umbrellas” to protect the cast’s radio mics, and coordinated rainwear to match their multicoloured costumes. The stage is a 14-metre HGV trailer parked outside the Sligachan hotel with a view of the Red Cuillins. And the audience, who will tune in to the dialogue via their car radios, have been instructed to bring blankets and whatever else they need to keep warm.

With many venues across the UK still closed by Covid, the traditional pantomime – which Cullen points out is often the only time a family experiences live theatre all year – will be missing from many festive calendars.

But following the success of socially distanced drive-in events over the summer, the format has been repurposed to offer some welcome end-of-year release, even as restrictions tighten for many.

On an altogether different scale to the efforts on Skye, Car Park Panto is staging Horrible Christmas, the Birmingham Stage Company’s seasonal spin on its hugely popular Horrible Histories production, with already sold-out shows across the UK.

Parking is set up to respect social distancing, and organised to ensure a Mini does not get stuck behind a 4x4, with the performance taking place on a specially constructed stage with a larger viewing screen above it.

Neal Foster, actor and manager of the Birmingham Stage Company, who toured with a similar drive-in show over the summer, describes the “unique joy” of an audience appreciating “what we used to think of as normal”.

Related: Social distance cinema: drive-in theatres boom – in pictures

The entirely apposite plot revolves around one boy whose mission is to save the festive season for future generations from a villain intent on destroying Christmas.

“We look back at how the celebration of Christmas has changed over time, from the Romans, to Henry VIII, and even being banned by the Puritans. At a moment when it feels Christmas is at risk again, it’s good to remind people that we’ve got through tough times before.”

Traditionalists may prefer Cinderella at the Parking Lot Panto, hosted by XL Event Lab and also touring the UK throughout December. The company director, Grahame Ferguson, says that while many are opting out of family gatherings despite the impending loosening of curbs in some areas, people are looking for safe shared entertainment. “Ticket sales have been through the roof. There’s a real appetite to do something to salvage Christmas, while being conscious of safety,” he said.

Back on Skye, the drive-in format still affords plenty of the rowdy audience participation associated with panto. Rapunzel’s evil enchanter hates the light, so cars will be encouraged to blind her with their beams, while the beeping of horns is incorporated into one of the comedy catchphrases.

Cullen, who was born on Skye, says: “If you want to stage a show right now, this is the safest and really only way to do it. Hopefully it brings some excitement to people who live here, it creates jobs for actors and technicians and we’re raising money for the local food bank.

“There can be a snobbery about panto, but the good guys always win even though they are downtrodden and it teaches valuable lessons about standing up for what you believe in.”