The Bermuda Festival of the Performing Arts looks unlikely to be affected by the repair work being undertaken at its main venue, City Hall, but it is still too soon to say for sure, say city engineers.

The Christmas pantomime, organised by the Bermuda Musical and Dramatic Society, was recently pushed back until January because of roof damage inflicted by Hurricane Gonzalo, but work is frantically under way to reopen City Hall’s Earl Cameron Theatre in time for the Bermuda Festival’s opening.

The festival, which features world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma in its line-up, is to open on January 23 with a performance by the English Chamber Orchestra and nine of its 13 events are due to be hosted at the venue.

“At the moment we are unclear, we are hopeful that it’s not going to affect the festival but until the final assessments are done, we can’t make that call,” John Waddell, the Festival’s technical director, told The Royal Gazette.

“There are always other options, but, being the optimist, I will make that call later. There are alternative options; it’s just a matter of figuring out where they would be.

“There is the Southampton Princess and other venues. The Ruth Seaton James [Centre for the Performing Arts] is already getting booked up, though. That is where [BMDS] is moving the Panto.

“I have no thoughts on cancellations of any sort. We will find an alternative, no matter what.”

Bermuda’s InMotion School of Dance is due to host a show at the venue on December 16, which could be affected by the repair work. A spokeswoman for the school said that the school is confident that its show would go ahead, but added that other options are being considered just in case.

There is damage to City Hall’s roof truss (the structural framework) and engineers must remove the roof from the truss, repair the framework and then replace it.

Patrick Cooper, the City of Hamilton’s city engineer, said: “It’s a tricky little exercise where we have got to build some staging all the way from the basement, through the stage, through the scenery platform flats — prop that up and prop the roof above that. It is a bit of a production.

“We spent today and yesterday taking down the scenery flats and the lighting. The scaffolding is supposed to move in on Thursday and they hope that will take three days. Then we should start the final repairs next week.

“We are confident. I can’t give any absolutes but if everything goes according to plan and we don’t get anything unforeseen show up, then that’s good.”