Luton care home residents enjoy a festive Covid-safe pantomime

Residents at a Luton care home got into the festive spirit in the run up to Christmas by enjoying a Covid-safe pantomime.

Thanks to specialised screens installed at Little Bramingham Farm in Leamington Road, residents were able to enjoy the performance safely.

Karen Charity, the activities coordinator at the care home run by charity Friends of the Elderly, said: “Everyone here loves to make sure our residents have a lovely Christmas and thoroughly enjoy engaging with them in a wide range of yuletide activities. We wanted to give our residents the opportunity to enjoy a live pantomime show whilst ensuring their safety and wellbeing at all times.

“To accommodate a COVID-safe performance and alleviate any physical contact, we put up large, perspex screens between our conservatory and dining room, with windows and doors open for ventilation.

"The actresses provided us with proof of vaccination, negative lateral flow tests and performed in the conservatory area – all wearing microphones and clear face masks – and our residents were all comfortably seated in the dining room. Our conservatory was a perfect location as the performers were able to access the stage area directly from the garden and didn’t need to go through the care home.”

The Little Bramingham Farm care team arranged for the residents to be treated to a magical production of the panto classic, Aladdin.

Karen added: “The pantomime was delivered by Eva Long Productions. We’ve worked with the entertainers before and have been really happy with their previous performances, so it was a natural choice for this year’s theatrical Christmas treat. Our residents really enjoyed themselves and during the show, carried on the festive theme by indulging in delicious mince pies and lovely warm drinks.”

Emma Lawrance, the manager at Little Bramingham Farm said: “It was a great show, it really got us all in the Christmas spirit. All our residents had a great time and joined in with the traditional panto gags and heckles. I love the good old panto jokes and a few had me laughing out loud. ‘What kind of pet does Aladdin have? A flying car-pet’ and ‘What kind of car does Aladdin drive? A LamborGENIE’. It was fantastic to see and hear all our residents having a lovely afternoon. It was a real Christmas treat for everyone.”