A THEATRE company that focuses on tackling isolation through arts and culture is looking forward to celebrating the end of lockdown.

Reality Theatre has been working with people throughout lockdown and has recently resumed face to face sessions.

Now they are rehearsing their Christmas panto - almost six months in advance.

The performance is based on an original script by director and project leader Juls Benson called Christmas at Cardboard City.

Described as ‘Oliver Twist meets The Godfather’, the play will include musical classics such as Suspicious Minds.

While the rehearsals at the moment so far are for the core cast, there will be a much larger group participating for full rehearsals in September.

The panto is part of Reality Theatre’s National Lottery-funded project that focuses on dealing with isolation, especially in older people.

Ms Benson said: “The whole focus is on breaking this whole isolation that people have been suffering with and having a brand new start.

“We work with people weekly so for the ones who wants to get into acting, we train them up as actors, and put them on the stage and some of them will just want to be behind the scenes.

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“Some of them they just literally just want to just sit and watch and be part of it, you know, make the tea or the coffee.

“Everyone is welcome”.

The pandemic has made things difficult for the group to reach people in social housing.

The group will be looking to work with Newport City Homes soon and are expecting a fresh load of participants.

Reality Theatre do not just work with older people.

Describing themselves as an “intergenerational” organisation, there will be visits to students with additional needs at Coleg Gwent Newport and Torfaen campuses as well as a summer day camp to be held in August at the Riverfront.

They are planning a carnival on Saturday, August 7 - by which time they hope that lockdown will be over for good.

Amidst some suggestions that some housing organisations have not looked after older, more potentially lonely residents, Ms Benson believes we can learn from the pandemic.

“We can learn from this period then in order to put systems in place if the pandemic is to continue or happen again,” she said.

Sonia Furzland, executive director of operations at Newport City Homes, said: “Throughout the pandemic, we’ve adhered to the very latest Welsh Government and public health guidance to keep our customers and colleagues safe at all times.

“During this time, our customers’ wellbeing has been a priority, particularly for those in our schemes for people over 55.

“This has included regular wellbeing calls for all customers who are feeling lonely or vulnerable and activities that could be held safely, including puzzles, quizzes and outdoor gardening groups.

“Now restrictions have eased, we’re testing different ways to reopen and use our communal areas and have restarted activities, such as coffee mornings for limited numbers in line with the latest restrictions.

“As we’ve done this, we’ve asked our customers what they feel comfortable doing as we go along so we use their feedback to inform our plans.

“We understand some of our customers may be disappointed that a full service hasn’t resumed, but we can’t rush this work as we have to get it right for the safety of our customers and colleagues."