A new theatre is preparing to open in Manchester in the new year, providing a Covid-safe way for locals to get their culture fix.
The DriveINSIDE theatre - which had to postpone its launch because of the spike in coronavirus cases this autumn - also has plans to create 1000 jobs for the region.
The drive-in theatre will open next spring at the Trafford Centre and will be permitted to operate even in Tier 3 restrictions.
Theatre-goers will be greeted by a 'theatrical drive jockey' who will guide them to their dedicated, isolated area.
Each booking will be given its own parking space and adjacent viewing area beneath a 68,000 sq ft marquee that will be the largest in Europe.
Visitors will be asked to leave their vehicles on the driver's side to manage social distancing from other guests.
A four-week run of shows will begin in March, with creators Beyond Theatre hosting more than 30 productions to live audiences.
The DriveINSIDE theatre will have a capacity of 800 per show.
Creator of the venue, Paul Levin, said: "We are really an immersive theatre production company, but when COVID shut down our productions we started thinking about how we could put on live performances again.
"The DriveINSIDE Theatre is our answer, and we cannot wait to bring the thrill and excitement of live events back to the people of Manchester.
"Our industry has suffered terribly throughout the pandemic. The vast majority of people working in theatre are contract based and usually supplement their income in slow periods by working in hospitality.
"With both industries being hit so hard we are absolutely thrilled to be able to offer the lifeline of some real work for around 1,000 industry people in Manchester next March.
"We’ve all turned to the arts to keep us going during this crisis, whether by watching films and tv, listening to music, reading books or getting involved in creative hobbies, so it should be clear to everyone how important the arts is to us all.
"We hope that people in Manchester will be as excited as we are about the fantastic shows we will be bringing to the city and that they will come out and support the industry."
The theatre is planning to tour across the country once the Manchester run has finished.
The exact schedule for the shows hasn't yet been revealed, but is expected to include a line-up of comedy, musicals, tribute acts and more.
