BREAKING NEWS BALCONY IN THE APOLLO THEATRE IN LONDON COLLAPSED

Police called to Grade II listed theatre in London's West End at 8.15pm
The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-time was being performed
Part of the balcony started creaking before section of theatre collapsed
Theatre-goers left crying and bleeding - and some 88 people are injured
Happened just over an hour after London was hit by freak thunderstorm
PM: 'I'm grateful for fast work of emergency services in helping injured'

Dozens of theatre-goers were injured tonight when part of a balcony collapsed during a performance at a major West End theatre in chaotic scenes described as being 'like an avalanche'.

Police said seven people were seriously injured and there were 81 walking wounded following the incident which happened at around 8.15pm inside the Apollo Theatre in Central London.

Masonry from the Grade II-listed theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue plummeted into the stalls below, striking members of the packed audience and filling the theatre with clouds of thick dust.

Casualties: Injured people are seen on a bus near the scene of a collapse at the Apollo Theatre in London

Helping hand: A bandaged man comforts a woman following the collapse at the Apollo Theatre

Injuries: A woman stands bandaged and wearing a blanket from the emergency services in Central London

Keeping warm: A man wraps himself in an emergency blanket provided by rescue services after the incident

Makeshift ambulance: Shocked and injured theatergoers are transported to hospital in a commandeered London bus following an incident during a performance at the Apollo Theatre

Rescue effort: Emergency services attending the scene at the Apollo Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue

 

A capacity audience of more than 700 people was inside the theatre, which was 45 minutes into the National Theatre's performance of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-time.

Audience members then started screaming as parts of the ceiling appeared to cave in, with some eyewitnesses hearing a loud ‘creaking’ which some initially thought was part of the show.

 

It happened just over an hour after London was hit by a freak thunderstorm at about 7pm that saw a torrential downpour over the city, but it was not immediately clear if that was related to the collapse.

Theatre-goer Khalil Anjarwalla said he, his heavily pregnant wife and her parents managed to escape from the theatre safely after ‘kilos of concrete plummeted from the ceiling’.

Audience describe theatre balcony collapsed

 

 

 

Horror: Halfway through the first half of the performance, part of the balcony started creaking before a section of the theatre collapsed

Inside the theatre: London Fire Brigade confirmed that eight fire engines had been sent to the scene

Running to help: One man, who was in the audience at the Grade II listed theatre with his family, said he suffered a head injury after he was hit by falling debris

 

Getting away from the scene: Injured people sit wrapped in emergency blankets sit on a London bus

Rushed away: A man is wheeled out of a theatre used as a makeshift treatment center for the theatre

Business owner Mr Anjarwalla said: ‘I was in the upper circle with my family when, about 45 minutes in, people started shouting and screaming. We thought it was part of the play.

‘But the ceiling was crumbling. Within an instant the whole roof seemed to come down. We saw a lot of people completely covered in dust - I could hardly breathe.

‘We had to get out, calmly. I remember thinking the cloud, the dust - it reminded me of those scenes from 9/11 in the aftermath of the building collapsing.’

The 29-year-old, who is from Nairobi in Kenya, said: ‘I was very close to the Westgate Mall which was the scene of the recent terror attack.

‘So my first thought was instantly to check whether we should be ducking for safety. We then realised it was a structural issue and tried to get out.’

Mr Anjarwalla, who was visiting his in-laws with his English wife, Aliya, said: ‘The actors just seemed to run from the stage. They had obviously seen what had happened.

‘We initially thought it was part of the show. Thankfully we are all OK. My wife is seven months pregnant but she is OK. We feel very blessed.’ He said some people seemed to be ‘cut quite badly’.

Police said a London bus was used to take the casualties to hospital, while members of the public were asked to avoid the area.

Prime Minister David Cameron paid tribute to rescue crews, writing on Twitter: 'I've been updated regularly on the Apollo incident. I'm grateful for the fast work of the emergency services in helping the injured.'

On the roof: Emergency services attending the scene at the Apollo Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue

Aid: Paramedics attend to an injured person at the scene at the Apollo Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue

Discussions: Rescue services at the scene of an apparent balcony collapse at the Apollo Theatre in London

Discussions; Firemen confer at the scene after the incident at the Apollo Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue

Emergency response: The London Fire Brigade said the theatre was almost full, with 'around 700 people' watching the performance

On location: Walking wounded were taken from the scene in ambulances as a team of firefighters rushed through the front stage door in Archer Street

 

The cast of the play includes the likes of Jo Dockery, sister of Downton Abbey's Michelle Dockery, former EastEnders actress Amanda Drew and Trevor Fox from 2000 film Billy Elliot.

Emergency services were called to the scene shortly after 8.15pm, as eyewitnesses reported many theatre-goers crying and trying to make contact with family members as some were initially thought to be trapped inside the building.

EDWARDIAN THEATRE THAT FIRST OPENED ITS DOORS 1901

The first London theatre of the Edwardian era, the doors of the Apollo Theatre first opened on February 21, 1901, for the American musical comedy The Belle Of Bohemia.

The three-galleried auditorium, which seats 796, is decorated with elaborate plasterwork and the balcony on its third tier is considered the steepest in London. 

Designed by architect Lewin Sharp, the building boasts elaborate sculpted work on the stone fascia to the front. To neighbouring streets the building is of plain brick.

It is one of four London playhouses owned by Nimax Theatres, a group owned and operated by Nica Burns and Weitzenhoffer. Others include the Garrick Theatre, the Duchess Theatre and the Lyric Theatre.

All were previously owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Jess Bowie, content editor of The House magazine, tweeted: ‘Was just seeing 'The Curious Incident' in the West End when the roof of the Apollo Theatre caved in. Absolutely petrifying.

‘Don't know if anyone is trapped in there but people outside are covered in dust and some in blood. Utterly horrible.’

Andrew Howard-Smith, 68, said: ‘I saw the edge of the balcony come down, that's what I saw. We were on the balcony below.

‘In the production you had to hold on to the rail and lean over to see what was going on, and we were doing the same.

‘Everybody must have got hold of the brass rail and just pushed it over, and then the edge came off. That was the only bit that came off, just the edge. It wasn't the whole of the balcony, just the front 2ft.’

Libby Grundy, 65, said: ‘There was a bang, and then a huge cloud of dust. At first I thought it was a special effect.

‘I heard somebody on the stage say “Oh bloody hell”, because they must have seen it.

‘And then people realised it must be some sort of emergency and people started getting up. People didn't panic. People were quite shaky when they got out.

‘There wasn't any screaming. People were scared, but they weren't screaming. I feel quite shaky now.’

Paramedics: Rescue services pull a injured person from the scene of an apparent balcony collapse

Young and old: A girl wraps herself in a blanket provided by rescue services following the incident

Carried away: A woman lies on a stretcher surrounded by rescue workers, awaiting evacuation

Paramedics helping: An injured woman is moved on a stretcher following an incident at the Apollo Theatre

Theatre: The three-galleried auditorium, which seats 796, is decorated with elaborate plasterwork and the balcony on its third tier is considered the steepest in London (file picture)

He said people in the balcony filed out of the theatre calmly, but added: ‘It was difficult - you could hardly see the seat in front of you, due to the dust.’

'There was a bang, and then a huge cloud of dust. At first I thought it was a special effect'
Libby Grundy, eyewitness

The London Fire Brigade said the theatre was almost full, with ‘around 700 people’ watching the performance. A spokesman added: ‘It's thought between 20 and 40 people were injured.’
A district surveyor from Westminster City Council was on the way to the scene to carry out structural assessment of the building.
It is thought the engineer, who will be accompanied by police officers, will spend most of the night getting access inside the theatre to ensure it is safe.

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