Show goes on for Bridgnorth's Theatre on the Steps after nightmare of Covid

The arts are often the lifeblood of society, from the latest blockbuster films we go to watch in the cinema to the award-winning TV, books or games we consume each day.

After months without any form of live entertainment due to the coronavirus lockdowns, the general public realised just how vital the arts were to our everyday lives.

Iain Reddihough, theatre director at Theatre on the Steps in Bridgnorth says this fact is what will keep the industry going.

His, and many other business owners’ positive approach to the life-changing decisions made in 2020 is what kept them going during those darker days.

With many people in the arts having to retrain or find other temporary jobs, Iain said the theatre, on Stoneway Steps, was just abandoned.

“Like everybody else, being used to performing and entertaining and not being able to do it, leaves a very big hole in your life,” Iain said.

“It was frustrating and depressing especially when you are having to go down to the theatre each day anyway, mostly to do mundane jobs when it’s usually lively and thriving with people or rehearsals. Usually when we are all there, we are working towards something like a show or the pantomime.

“To be honest, it was just dead for two years and it was sad to see. There were obviously lots of people not performing, who were also void of that happiness in a way as well.”

Some parts of the industry are yet to recover, if they ever will. As often happens, it is the smaller businesses that are left struggling.

“I think the general public realised how important the arts were to our society and our everyday lives, but maybe others didn’t as much,” Iain said.

“The government was a bit slow in responding to us in the arts and it made things quite difficult. In the end it has been OK, thanks to the Cultural Recovery Fund, which has helped a lot of people.”

He added: “Some of the guidelines for theatres were late coming in and particularly unclear at times, which just made things very difficult for us in terms of making decisions. However, here we have been lucky in many ways because we had funds to support us through closure and not all services did.

“But what we have found is so many of the small visiting theatre companies and those type of people have just not survived. They struggled to employ people and so many entertainers had to go out and get other jobs like a delivery driver.”

Despite the difficulties, Iain said many kept hope and at the Theatre on the Steps they were determined to stay positive.

He added: “As we have reopened people have been commenting how lovely it is to be back again. I think normally, in times of struggle and hardship, people can just go to the cinema or the theatre and it takes them away for a couple of hours to be entertained and forget about their troubles.

“I think one of the most famous theatre sayings is ‘the show must go on’ and we very much approach things with an optimistic air.”