Aladdin is postponed at Derby Theatre this Christmas…but with fantastic family show to take its place. Due to the current Covid-19 situation, Derby Theatre regret to announce, after much consideration, that their big festive production of Aladdin for this year will be postponed until Christmas 2021.

However, we are thrilled to announce that we will be presenting a smaller gem of a show in its place, Mike Kenny’s The Little Mermaid, which allows us to introduce social distancing for our audiences. This exciting festive production is ideal for the whole family to enjoy, an uplifting underwater adventure perfect for 5 years and over. Aladdin, a fabulously festive high-flying production of friendship, music, magic lamps and making wishes, was due to be performed at Derby Theatre this Christmas, but due to government restrictions on social distancing, continued uncertainty, restrictions on advance planning and preparation, plus the financial viability of a production of this scale, means that we will now move this show to Christmas 2021.

With this announcement, we appreciate that it will affect thousands of people, current bookers and those who were really looking forward to visiting us this Christmas for a special outing to the Theatre, but the safety of our audiences, artists and staff has been, and will remain, our number one priority. However, we are delighted to be able to offer The Little Mermaid in its place, a delightful socially distanced family show ideal for all ages. The production will officially launch the re-opening of Derby Theatre to the public and audiences can rest assured that the venue will be, and feel, completely safe for audiences attending.

Safety measures will include socially distanced seating in the auditorium, and areas inside the theatre; staff wearing protective face visors, hand sanitisation stations, enhanced cleaning schedules, plus much more. We will also be offering a flexible ticketing policy to avoid any concern about cancelled performances. These stringent measures have all been put in place to fully adhere to government guidelines and to ensure our audiences feel safe and confident in visiting us. More information on how we are reassuring our audiences, visitors and staff is available on our website.

Plans are now being made to celebrate the Christmas season in the city in a way which makes everyone feel safe. Customers who have bookings for Aladdin this year will be contacted by the Theatre about the postponement and will automatically be offered a transfer, at no extra cost, to the equivalent performance date for next year. For customers wishing to opt for a refund, credit or to donate to the Theatre instead, these options will be included in the email we send. Once we receive your request, we will process accordingly. Our team will be very busy during this period, so please bear with us.

PLEASE NOTE: if we do not hear back from you within 10 days, in response to the email we send you, your booking will automatically be transferred over to the equivalent date for Aladdin in 2021. Aladdin for 2021 will go on general sale from 10am on Friday 16 October. The Little Mermaid will be open for booking from 12pm on Friday 11 September, with all tickets at only £12 each. Bookings can be made via the Derby Theatre website or via the Box Office on 01332 593939 (phone lines available on Fridays, 11am until 2pm). Aladdin bookers who retain their booking for 2021 will automatically be offered a discount to see The Little Mermaid and will receive a discount code in due course.