There were cheers and boos, oohs and aahs in the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury this week at the first read-through of this year’s pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk. Opening in a fortnight for a six-week run, and starring the Strictly Come Dancing winner Joanne Clifton, boyband singer Duncan James and a real dog, the script is packed with corny gags and local jokes that are the panto hallmark. “It’s great to be back,” the writer and director Paul Hendy told the cast and production team. Like most theatres, the Marlowe cancelled its show last year because of Covid restrictions, blowing a massive hole in its annual budget. This year, panto is bigger than ever. All over the country, minor celebs have been cast, Widow Twankey’s crinoline dresses dusted off, glitter balls hoisted and double entendres rehearsed. But beneath the slapstick humour, theatres are nervous. Despite all Covid-related restrictions in England being lifted months ago, ticket sales have not bounced back to pre-pandemic levels. Traditional early bookings were sluggish, and school group sales significantly down on 2019. Although family bookings are picking up now, they are 10-20% below pre-pandemic levels. Grandparents, a key element in a multigenerational family experience, are thought to be particularly hesitant. “It’s definitely slower and people are leaving it later,” said Hendy. “There are people who still don’t feel comfortable sitting in a theatre.” According to Hendy, whose company, Evolution Productions, is staging 11 pantos across the country this Christmas, 98% of regional theatres put on a Christmas show. “Panto can bring in 40% of annual income in a four-week run. It’s the lifeblood of UK theatre,” he said. Last year, eight of Evolution’s planned 10 pantos were cancelled before the opening date. Two opened briefly to live audiences before the curtain came down. The financial consequences were “pretty horrific”, said Hendy. At the Nottingham Playhouse, rehearsals for Beauty and the Beast are in full swing after last year’s show was put on hold, but box office sales are “a little behind an ordinary year,” said the artistic director, Adam Penford. “Panto ticket sales are our second-biggest income stream after Arts Council funding. Our business model is built on the success of the Christmas show. “If we don’t sell as many tickets this year because audience confidence is slow in returning, that will be really problematic. I do think there’s appetite, but we need to reassure people that the theatre is a safe environment.” Julian Bird, the chief executive of UK Theatre and the Society of London Theatre, said there was evidence that sales for Christmas shows were rallying, and some venues were “on track for their best panto season ever”. But he added: “There is still a significant minority of core audiences who need more clarity on what is happening with Covid before they will book tickets.” Many people have fond memories of panto. Penford, who grew up in Nottingham, was taken to see the Playhouse show every year – the only time his parents went to the theatre. “It’s clearly ingrained in my mind – the thrill of entering the theatre, the buzz, the lights, the music. It’s definitely why I ended up with a career in the arts, and now I’ve come full circle back to the Playhouse,” he said. Until Covid struck, panto was “in a good place”, said Hendy. “The quality of shows has improved dramatically. The turning point was Ian McKellen playing Widow Twankey at the Old Vic [in 2004] – suddenly it was OK to love panto.” On top of concerns about ticket sales, nagging anxieties persist that this year’s panto season could yet be hit by new Covid restrictions. “The repercussions would be fundamental,” said Emily Wood, the co-director of Evolution. Closures would be “the death knell” for some regional theatres. She added: “Despite all the uncertainty, we’re feeling optimistic. People are desperate to have a great festive season after being robbed last year. We’re all going to double-down on the Christmas experience, and for a lot of people that includes panto.”