Legal News

A West End theatre audience was forced to evacuate the Apollo Theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue last night, after a section of the roof high above the stalls collapsed into the auditorium.

Fire and ambulance crews were on the scene within minutes to help with the evacuation, which took place during a performance of the play ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time’.

The audience included families with young children and elderly grandparents celebrating the Christmas season. Some children are thought to be among the casualties, who were taken to three London hospitals, including St Thomas’ Hospital. Out of 76 people reported injured, seven have serious injuries. Onlookers report seeing people with head injuries and cuts and bruises – and some were completely covered in dust from the ceiling collapse.

Theatres in the West End are Grade II listed and often have domed ceilings with ornate plasterwork and chandeliers.

A section of roof measuring 10 square metres is reported to have collapsed, including a heavy plaster ceiling rose and chandelier. Witnesses said the section of ceiling which fell missed hitting the balconies and plummeted to the stalls, dispensing a cloud of dust on impact. A heavy beam may also have fallen, according to onlookers. In some theatres, lighting gantries holding heavy lights may be attached to the ceiling above the stalls.

No theatre staff or actors are believed among the casualties, however.

Construction engineers are inspecting the theatre and London Fire Brigade crews have made an inspection of the roof from the exterior using a crane.

Some audience members reported hearing heavy rain before the ceiling collapsed at around 8.15pm, while others reported hearing water dripping before the collapse and a creaking noise. Other witnesses have said the roof was struck by lightning, but this has not been verified. A natural incident such as lightning would be classed as an Act of God by insurers.

Casualties were in the first instance taken to the foyer of the Gielgud Theatre nearby, where an impromptu triage centre was set up.

None of the casualties is thought to have life threatening injuries, although some witnesses describe audience members being stretchered away from the scene and others being given oxygen on the pavement outside the theatre.

Emergency crews commandeered a London bus to ferry some of the injured to hospitals across London. Many of these were described as having “walking wounded” injuries, which might include cuts, bleeding, bruising or suffering mild effects of dust inhalation.

Some of the more seriously injured theatregoers are believe to have sustained fractures to their upper body, however.

Soho Fire Station is metres away from the theatre at the top of Shaftesbury Avenue and crews were able to attend with an urban search and rescue team within three minutes of receiving the call out.

Theatre staff are trained in how to evacuate audiences in the event of emergencies, including using code words to describe the type of incident which has happened and where the problem is in the theatre, so as to raise the alarm without panicking audiences.

Many of those evacuated praised the quick actions of theatre staff in helping them evacuate – and the efficiency of staff in helping set up a casualty centre in the foyer of a nearby theatre immediately after the evacuation.

Police are now working with the Health and Safety Executive to investigate the Apollo roof collapse.

The Apollo Theatre was opened in 1901 and holds 775 people – it is thought around 720 people were in the audience at the time of the incident.

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For expert legal advice on how to make a personal injury compensation claim, contact Duncan Lewis personal injury solicitors on 020 7923 4020.