Ipswich New Wolsey Theatre will launch ‘pay it forward’ scheme to donate 800 free pantomime tickets

An Ipswich theatre hopes to share the magic of pantomime with everyone this Christmas, particularly those who may not be able to afford to attend.

The New Wolsey Theatre, in Civic Drive, is calling on public support to allow it to give away 800 tickets for its next rock n’ roll panto – enough to fill an auditorium twice.

It will be launching a ‘pay it forward’ scheme, which will offer customers the chance to donate money from next month, when tickets for this year’s performances go on sale.

Douglas Rintoul, the theatre’s chief executive and artistic director, said the team would be incredibly grateful for any donations – no matter how much.

He said: “This is the first time that we’ve launched a ‘Pay It Forward’ campaign. We acknowledge that for some members of our community, the chance to enjoy live theatre remains financially out of reach.

“In light of our challenging economic circumstances, we wanted to find a way to give the gift of pantomime to some of those people. We’d really appreciate your support.”

Donations can be done in-person, over the phone or when booking online.