LONDON – A partial ceiling collapse at London’s Piccadilly Theatre on Wednesday halted a performance of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman,” causing a few minor injuries and prompting an evacuation of the audience.
Police were called just before 8 p.m. (1959 GMT) to the West End theater where American actor Wendell Pierce was starring as Willy Loman in a production of the 1949 play.
People look at the collapsed roof of Piccadilly Theatre during ‘Death of a Salesman’ play in London, Britain November 6, 2019 in this picture obtained from social media. Kieran Dunn/via REUTERS
“Everyone is out of the theater. A few people have suffered minor injuries,” police said in a statement. London Fire Brigade said 1,100 people had been evacuated after a section of plaster fell from the ceiling.
“I did not mean for it to go like this,” Pierce, known for his work in the TV show “The Wire” and the 2014 film “Selma,” told theatergoers in a video posted on Twitter.
“I’d like to thank you all for safely evacuating. We apologize and we’re glad that no-one’s hurt.”