London's Piccadilly Theatre was evacuated November 6 following a partial ceiling collapse. The incident occurred about 30 minutes into the evening performance of the Marianne Elliott and Miranda Cromwell-helmed revival of Death of a Salesman, which officially opened in the West End November 4.
The collapse resulted in some minor injuries, according to the City of Westminster Police Department. Roads in the immediate area were cleared and closed following the evacuation.
The production, which premiered at the Young Vic earlier this year, explores the Arthur Miller drama through the lens of an African-American family. Suits alum Wendell Pierce stars as Willy Loman, with Sharon D. Clarke (soon to make her Broadway debut in Caroline, or Change) as Linda.
In December of 2013, the ceiling of London's Apollo Theatre partially collapsed during a performance of The Curious Incident in the Dog in the Night-Time. Attributed to the decomposition of building materials, the incident inured over 80 people, some seriously. The venue reopened in March the following year.
UPDATE, NOVEMBER 7: Performances at the Piccadilly Theatre have been canceled through November 10, with an updated schedule for subsequent days to be announced. "We are ascertaining the extent of the situation, and will be providing an update on future performances as soon as possible," Ambassador Theatre Group, which manages the venue, said in a statement. Meanwhile, the production's original home, the Young Vic, will offer three "scratch" performances of the play (one November 8 and two November 9) for some ticket holders for the canceled shows, available on a first-come-first-served basis.
UPDATE, NOVEMBER 8: The Westminster City Council confirmed that the collapse was due to a localized water leak. ATG intends to reopen the theatre and resume performances in the space November 11.
Firefighters are attending the Piccadilly Theatre where a section of plaster has fallen from the ceiling during a performance. Around 1,100 people evacuated the theatre before we arrived. Contact @Ldn_Ambulance for casualty details ��Theo Silkstone pic.twitter.com/oheOa9wedR
— London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) November 6, 2019
