Okehampton amateur dramatics group the Courtenay Players have had to cancel their Christmas show tonight and tomorrow night (Thursday and Friday) due to covid fears.

Concerns about the Omicron variant, which has prompted the Government to pledge to tighten restrictions and offer a booster jab to everyone the end of the year, have led to director Stan Stormont making the decision to cancel tonight and tomorrow night’s performances at the Charter Hall.

The 32-strong troupe from Okehampton and the surrrounding villages had been rehearsing for the lighthearted production of songs, jokes and Christmas poems since September. This would have been the first production they had put on in 18 months.

Stan said: ’It wasn’t an easy decision to make but we couldn’t ensure the safety of either the audience or the cast. We can’t enforce masks. We can say they have to wear them, but then people take them off, we have seen that happening elsewhere. It only takes one person who has no idea they have got it to do that and they then spread it to everyone. Not deliberately, but they just do.’

He said that the cast, undaunted, would however be back with a pantomime of Dick Whittington, in July.