'We're cautiously optimistic': The show must go on for the historic Grand Theatre after an 18-month period like no other

The theatre went on to experience many firsts, including being the first theatre in Blackpool to be totally electric, and a number of momentous events, such as hosting a lecture from Winston Churchill in 1902. It even survived demolition in the '60s after Jeffrey Finestone, a member of the Victorian Society, successfully applied for the building to be given Grade II listing.

But no hurdle has been quite like that presented by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Under the leadership of CEO Ruth Eastwood, the Grand Theatre has accessed more than £1m in financial support to help the business survive through things like the Cultural Recovery Fund. With some 57 employees, it was forced to rely on the furlough scheme and saw staff numbers reduced to just 15 at the height of the pandemic.

Shows were moved from March 2020 to May, then from May to September, then from September to January, such was the unpredictable nature of lockdowns and infection rates. To stay in touch with customers, they ran online workshops and classes and created a YouTube channel called At Home With You. And now they're reopening.

"Coming back has been joyful," says Ruth. "We're enjoying seeing each other face-to-face again and we're feeling great now that we appear to be coming out of [the pandemic]. The main characteristic of the past year was simply not knowing what was going to happen next; every plan you made had to be remade three or four times and that uncertainty was very frustrating.

"Reducing staff was very sad for an organisation like us that is not only well-loved but which has a loyal team," she adds. "It's difficult for people, but nobody blames anybody - no one's experienced a pandemic before and people have been amazingly resilient. And, for the staff who remained, we supported each other to get through it, which brought us closer together."