Bendigo Theatre Company has postponed a number of its shows planned for this year as coronavirus restrictions tighten.
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The committee made the decision at the weekend in response to the restrictions on mass gathering and as the closure of non-essential services was announced in Victoria.
"We are confident that we have made the right decisions," president Abe Watson said in a public statement on Monday morning.
"In my ten years on the committee, these are some of the most difficult decisions we have had to make.
"We feel that we have a duty to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and to protect the more vulnerable members of our community by reducing mass gatherings."
Shows that have been postponed include BTC's major production for this year We Will Rock You, which was about to announce its cast.
The musical was to be directed by Paul Watson, who directed Wicked for BTC last year. We Will Rock You will be postponed, pending contractual negotiations, until 2021.
Current creatives, production team and the soon-to-be-announced cast will be offered the first chance to be part of the proposed 2021 production.
"With a good deal of work and planning already underway for this production, we sincerely hope that it will light up Ulumbarra in 2021," Mr Watson said.
BTC has also suspended rehearsals for its B Sharp Chorus but is hopeful the June recital will proceed.
Comedy Two and Two Make Sex has also been pushed back to 2021 and is pending contractual negotiations.
The company is still hopeful to present the legal drama Beyond Reasonable Doubt later in 2020. It was originally scheduled to premiere at the end of April
BTC's Tribe Youth Theatre has postponed its one act play festival involvement but its major production Cats is intended to be performed as scheduled at the end of September.
"All of the above decisions will be impacted by unfolding events over the next few weeks, and will be reviewed by the committee of management in early May," Mr Watson said.
"We will be back soon, bigger and better than ever."
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