Death of a Salesman performance cancelled as Piccadilly Theatre roof collapses

Performances of Death of a Salesman has been cancelled following an incident at the Piccadilly Theatre which saw part of the roofing collapse, injuring several people.

Screams were heard from the upper circle at the Piccadilly at 8pm on 6^th November during a performance of the Arthur Miller play, which currently stars Wendell Pierce and Sharon D Clarke. Police and fire brigades attended the scene as the 1,000 audience members in attendance were evacuated from the theatre.

Ambassadors Theatre Group (ATG), who owns the theatre, say five people were taken to hospital for treatment for minor injuries. The group has also confirmed that the performances on Thursday 7th, Friday 8th and both shows on Saturday 9th November have been cancelled, and they are assessing the situation for future performances. Ticket holders should contact their point of purchase for more information.

One theatregoer present on the night tweeted that the collapse "started with dripping" which increased until "it all caved in". Another added, "Couldn't work out for a moment what the heck was falling on my head!"

Safe and sound and out of the Piccadilly Theatre thanks to the swift and super speedy evacuation by all staff @TeamPiccadilly. Super work! Couldn't work out for a moment what the heck was falling on my head! thanks also to @WendellPierce

— Emma York (@EmmaYork88) November 6, 2019

Ceiling came down half way through performance of death of a salesman at the #Piccadilly#theatre. Started with some dripping that increased in rate until it all caved in. pic.twitter.com/ZuoRmszrmZ

— Theo Carter (@TJ_SC) November 6, 2019

In an earlier statement, ATG said they "take the safety and security of our audiences extremely seriously and we are doing everything possible to ascertain the cause of the incident."

In December 2013, some 60 people were injured after the roof of the Apollo Theatre collapsed during a performance of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. The theatre remained closed for three months.