PETROLIA, ONT. -- Petrolia Playhouse is planning to reopen its door for eight special performances in November and December.

It will be the first time the theatre has been in use since the start of the Pandemic.

The announcement comes months after the highly anticipated 2020 season was put off until 2021, leaving only the Christmas show up in the air.

But on Wednesday, Co-Artistic Director David Hogan confirmed that show, with its vast production cost, cannot go on.

However, Hogan says eight smaller “East Coast Kitchen Party Christmas” shows will staged, starting on Nov. 2, through Christmas.

Each will accommodate 50 people spaced out in the theatre that normally seats 400.

Hogan says the each production will featuring actor Mark Payne and a string of musicians and dancers.

Hogan says tickets will go on sale in about two weeks, giving time for the playhouse to cancel if the province moves to roll back to stage two, to respond to the pandemic.

He remains hopeful that won’t happen, so that for the first time, in a long-time, the show in Petrolia will go on.

While closed, the Victoria Playhouse stage was completely rebuilt, making “The East Coast Kitchen Party Christmas” the first show to be performed on it.

Ticket prices have not been announced, but Hogan expects they will be in line with typical prices for other performances.

Hogan says the production is not expected to generate revenue, just a sense of optimism in the community as the pandemic continues.