No Chloe Madeley from Dancing On Ice. No Alex Winters from CBeebies. These stars are not coming to York this Christmas after the promoters pulled the plug on the Barbican pantomime.
The promoter of Dick Whittington, Blue Genie, announced that the show is being cancelled due to poor ticket sales.
Last year Blue Genie promoted the successful Cinderella with Dani Harmer. But in a statement, the Barbican said the response to this year’s show, which was to run from December 20 to 30, “has been less enthusiastic”.
A spokesperson for the Barbican said: “We are obviously disappointed at the decision, but feel it is better to let everyone know as early as possible so that they can make alternative plans.
“There are tickets available for the pantomime at the Theatre Royal and we hope families will still be able to enjoy this traditional festive entertainment.“
Ticketholders for Dick Whittington are advised to go to their point of purchase for a full refund, including any booking fees.
The Barbican reopened in 2011 following a £2 million refurbishment. When it staged Cinderella last year, it was the first time York had had three professional pantomimes in recent memory.
With the cancellation of Dick Whittington, the city is left with two professional shows this year: Aladdin And The Twankeys at the Theatre Royal, and Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs at the Grand Opera House.
The Barbican spokesman said early bookings for the venue in 2014 “indicate that the venue will have its most successful year yet”.