I’LL be honest with you, writing this column is tinged with a little sadness as the Worcester Rep was meant to be going into rehearsals for Sherlock Holmes Rides Again.

The outdoor Commandery show has become one of hit events of the summer in Worcester and we were so looking forward to bringing you the next instalment, especially after last year’s record-breaking show.

One of things that makes the Rep such a special company is the creative teams that bring the stories to life. Each member of the team is brilliant in their own way and they become even more brilliant when they’re working together.

I truly believe that what makes the audience enjoy the shows so much is that they can see how much the cast and crew love bringing them to life.

To be in a position where we are not able to bring you an outdoor Commandery show is very sad for us all, and despite our initial optimism that we may have be able to welcome Sherlock and Holmes back to Worcester, it was not to be.

But we are determined. The news this week that over £1.5 billion is going to be invested in supporting the arts and culture is something to be celebrated and has given us all at Swan Theatre, Huntingdon Hall and the Worcester Rep a renewed sense of optimism that we can weather this particular storm.

We are not out of the woods yet and there is a long way to go before we will be back to bringing you the magic of live performance; but rest assured that we will return to the stage and we will bring back our brilliant creative team to entertain you once again.

Sarah-Jane Morgan is chief executive officer of the Swan Theatre, Huntingdon Hall and Worcester Rep