An Angus musical society may have to finish its panto run after more than 100 years due to spiralling costs.
Forfar Musical Society has put on yearly performances since 1911, with last month’s run of Mother Goose being performed in front of 1,300 people.
However, members say they may be forced to draw the curtain due to “exorbitant” hikes in prices at the town’s Reid Hall.
Costs for the hall, administered by Angus Council for the town’s common good fund, have risen from £1,300 per week to £1,700 in the last year.
Marley Hunter, for the society, said members are getting “more and more concerned” over the prospect of pulling the panto, which is one of two shows the society puts on every year.
“Our last panto had 1,300 people come to it and there’s a big appetite for people to come to our shows but if we can’t break even, we can’t continue to put them on,” she said.
“And it’s getting more and more expensive to put on a show every year.
“Yesterday we were told how much it would cost to put one on at the Reid Hall, which we do every year.
“It was £1,700 and last year it was £1,300.
“We are one of the main users at the hall and considering we have two shows a year, it costs us £3,000 a year.
“There isn’t anywhere else we can do a panto in the area, until the new community campus is built.”
Forfar Amateur Operatic Society was formally constituted in 1911 under the leadership of conductor Charles Ould, performing its first musical the Bohemian Girl the next year.
In 1987 the group renamed itself the Forfar Musical Society.
There are about 40 full-time members, a number that swells to 80 at production time.
Mrs Hunter said the society was reticent to cut its “main” show in the summer to cut costs for the pantomime. Seussical the Musical is slated for May this year.
“We don’t want to be a panto group we want to be a musical society,” she said.
In 2013, a row broke out over exposure as the society felt it was in competition with a professional production in Arbroath.
Webster Memorial Theatre’s production starred television actor Marc Cox and adverts were “plastered” across Forfar to a chorus of complaints.
Angus Council moved to calm fears, saying it hoped locals would “enjoy local amateur shows as well as the professional pantomime”.