It was no joke when a performance by acid-tongued comic Jerry Sadowitz at Dundee Rep was cancelled at the last minute.
A 365-strong audience were taking their seats in the auditorium when theatre staff were forced to announce that the star would not go on.
Dozens of disappointed fans thought the announcement was a joke as part of the show and remained in the theatre for some time in the hope that Sadowitz would perform.
An agent for Sadowitz, billed as being too outrageous for television, said he had been unable to perform because a backdrop from a previous production had not been removed and there was no room on stage for his own set.
Graham King, head of marketing and business development at Dundee Rep, said, “Jerry Sadowitz did not perform at Dundee Rep Theatre on Friday night.
“He was in the building and sadly only informed us he would not be going on minutes before he was due to take to the stage. We will of course be offering full ticket refunds to audience members, who like us were very disappointed.”
Sadowitz’s agent Gemma Maramis, of the Edinburgh-based Scottish Comedy Agency, said Sadowitz had been left “gutted” that the show had been cancelled and hoped to perform at the venue at a later date.
She said, “Jerry Sadowitz’s show at the Dundee Rep on Friday, March 18 had to be cancelled at the last minute for technical reasons.
“Jerry travelled a long way and was all set for the show but when he arrived at the theatre it became clear that there was just not enough room on the stage for the show to be performed due the fixed presence of the set from the early evening production.
“Jerry is gutted at having to cancel this performance but there was simply no way that he would have been able to do the show. We know that the many people who turned up will have been disappointed and had their Friday night spoiled.”