The company behind the Peter Pan panto, which was set to be held at The Chrysalis Theatre, has gone bust.
The company behind the Peter Pan pantomime at the Chrysalis Theatre has apologised to customers and the cast who have been left out of pocket.
1702 Productions, which Companies House has this month gone bust.
Following the press performance of the Christmas pantomime, and one other performance, an email was sent out to customers postponing the show due to the developing COVID-19 situation at the time, despite MK Theatre's production of Jack and the Beanstalk still going ahead.
The Stage, a theatre news site, has reported that the show's actors, ventriloquist Steve Hewlett and Lucy Rose Rollason, have claimed that Covid was being used as an excuse. It was also reported that the cast waited around understanding more performances would go ahead.
The Chrysalis Theatre, based in Willen Park at Camphill. Camphill Milton Keynes Communities is a charity providing holistic person-centred support for adults with learning disabilities and autism.
The theatre put out a statement on Facebook, following the news of 1702 productions stating that they also received no money from ticket sales.
A spokesperson wrote: "We are very disappointed and sorry to hear that customers who purchased tickets for Peter Pan Pantomime have not received refunds from 1702 Productions as previously advised.
"This morning (16.2.22), we received information stating that 1702 Productions have ceased trading and are in the process of striking the company off in accordance with Section 652 of the Company’s Act due to insolvency.
"The Chrysalis Theatre was purely the venue for the show, and we received no money from ticket sales. Like yourselves, we also have outstanding payments for hire of our theatre from 1702 Productions and have taken all reasonable steps to recover this."
Ticket retailer TicketSource gave the theatre the following advise for customers: "When an event is cancelled or postponed, TicketSource can initiate the refund process for the event organiser. As the Event Organiser, 1702 Productions used their own merchant services to charge your card, they are responsible for issuing you the refund.
"We initiated customer refunds, and the 14 working days that allow monies to be returned to customer accounts has since passed.
- If you haven't had any success contacting the event organiser regarding the progress of your refund, we would advise raising a charge dispute.
- If you paid by debit card, your bank may be able to pursue a chargeback which is a transaction reversal.
- If your booking was less than £100 with a credit card, your bank might be able to pursue a chargeback which is a transaction reversal.
- If your booking was over £100 and you paid by credit card, you can pursue a refund under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.
"When contacting your card provider, you will need to provide information about the original charge to your card. This includes:
- the date the original charge appeared on your card or bank statement
- the name of the company that charged your card
- the amount
- the reason for the refund (i.e. the event was cancelled and you have not received a refund).
"We sincerely apologise for the disappointment and inconvenience experienced by panto-goers."
MKFM has contacted the director from the production for more information.
