Chichester Festival Theatre unveils sparkling 2020 autumn season

In a week which has seen a second wave of coronavirus confirmed, the CFT remains hopeful the autumn season will go ahead as planned but is monitoring the situation.

If all goes well, the CFT this autumn will be offering drama, music, comedy and cabaret – including the venue’s very first live streaming – in a major boost to the city and its economy.

Socially distanced and with every possible COVID precaution in place, the autumn season will boast performers including Michael Ball, Sheila Hancock, Patricia Routledge, Rich Hall, Suzi Ruffell, Russell Kane, Joe Stilgoe and Henry Goodman. As planned, Chichester Festival Youth Theatre’s production of Pinocchio will be the Christmas show, performed by two separate casts of 30.

Following the latest advice, the CFT is planning on a socially-distanced audience of around 600, around half of full capacity. They stress government rules and guidelines prevalent at the time will be strictly adhered to.

Chichester Festival Theatre artistic director Daniel Evans is relishing the moment he will feel simultaneously “exhilarated, gladdened and hugely relieved” – the moment the CFT autumn season opens “after six long months of our theatre being dark and empty.”

The season will include:

• Sarah Kane’s Crave, directed by Tinuke Craig, staged in a socially distanced Festival Theatre for ten performances and live streamed to digital audiences

• For Christmas, a series of festive concerts, followed by Chichester Festival Youth Theatre in a new version of Pinocchio by Anna Ledwich, directed by Dale Rooks

• Michael Ball, Sheila Hancock and Patricia Routledge in conversation with Edward Seckerson