Drayton Entertainment is cancelling all remaining performances of A Few Good Men (St. Jacobs Country Playhouse) and Kinky Boots (Hamilton Family Theatre Cambridge) as well as its upcoming production of Billy Bishop Goes to War (St. Jacobs Schoolhouse Theatre) in an effort to mitigate the potential spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). This schedule change is effective immediately and will impact performances through Sunday, May 3. Special concert events, March Break programming, and rentals are also cancelled during this time frame.

Drayton Entertainment operates in accordance with advice from local public health authorities and in compliance with directives from government agencies. The not-for-profit charitable arts organization is committed to meeting the highest standards of health and safety for patrons, staff, artists, volunteers, and the community at large.

In addition to the temporary school closure in Ontario, Broadway theatres and several major sports organizations have already announced cancellations in accordance with the general consensus by medical experts to reduce mass gatherings. Given Drayton Entertainment’s audience demographics and geographic composition which spans the province, and the close proximity of people within auditoriums and performance spaces, there is a strong case to support social distancing over the next few weeks as the situation with COVID-19 evolves.

“Health and safety is our top priority,” says Alex Mustakas, Artistic Director & CEO of Drayton Entertainment. “We understand and respect the logic behind the concept of social distancing, and we think it’s important to lead by example and do our part in the community to reduce the potential spread of coronavirus.”

Drayton Entertainment management and the volunteer Board of Directors have not made this decision lightly. The three cancelled productions were all over 80% sold out. Patrons who have purchased tickets for cancelled performances will be contacted by the Box Office to facilitate account credits, exchanges for alternate performances in the season, or refunds.

“We’re very proud of these productions, but we hope that by taking this preventative measure, we can mitigate the impact of coronavirus and be open again in May for a successful season of theatre,” says Mustakas.

Drayton Entertainment recognizes that this is an evolving situation. The company will continually reassess policies and procedures as it relates to productions later in the season as new information becomes available based on recommendations from designated Canadian public health authorities.