Village hall? Oh no it isn't, it's a theatre, council says

FOR the past 16 years the village hall at Culter has staged a pantomime, an event that has become a centrepiece of their festive season.

With rehearsals starting as early as September and a cast of more than 40 – many of them schoolchildren – this year's production of Aladdin was set to be the most ambitious yet for the community near Aberdeen.

But now, five days from the opening night, the village's tradition has been thrown into doubt after the local council said the venue had the wrong type of licence.

The outbreak of overzealous officiousness began after a council employee spotted a newspaper advert for the panto. On checking, it was found the hall had a public entertainment licence, but not a theatre licence.

The hall's licence allows the community to stage fêtes, circus acts and variety shows – but not a pantomime.

Organisers offered to apply for a licence, only to be told by Aberdeen city council that they had run of out of time.

The council said: "We are sympathetic but, unfortunately, by law, we have no discretion in this matter. There is a minimum 14-day notice period for application for a theatre licence, which is laid down by statute and cannot be waived.

"The legislation is in place to ensure the safety of people attending public buildings," the council explained.

"In respect of a theatre licence, this would include checks on technical issues, such as moving parts on stage, lighting, safety curtains, etc, all of which have the potential to go wrong, with serious implications for the safety of the public."

And in a letter to the hall committee, lawyers stated that they were even required to notify police if it appeared unlicensed activities were taking place.

Susan Chappell-Smith, the hall committee president, said: "The law has been in place since 1968, so why we're only being told about it now I don't know. The financial cost of cancelling would probably bankrupt us, and there is the logistical nightmare of handing back tickets."

However, in the true spirit of the theatre, the cast are determined the show must go on – and have forced the council in a partial retreat. The five-night run, which raises money for charity, now rests on a fire inspection on Monday.

Ms Chappell-Smith said: "If the fire brigade are happy, the show can go on. We expect the premises to be passed, but of course I can't guarantee it. If the premises are not found to be safe, we have no option but to cancel the show."

Superintendent Adrian Watson, of Grampian Police, said: "It is not the intention of (the police] to spoil the enjoyment of those taking part in the children's pantomime or its intended audience. The force hopes that common sense will prevail."