London Mayor Boris Johnson has said the West End is “open for business” as an investigation continues into what caused a theatre ceiling to collapse, injuring 80 people.
Safety experts are checking the capital’s theatres after around 10 square metres of plaster from the Grade II-listed Apollo Theatre plummeted on to the stalls below, dragging a section of the balcony with it, striking members of the audience and filling the theatre with clouds of thick dust.
More than 700 people were inside the Apollo on Thursday which was 45 minutes into the National Theatre’s performance of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-time when members of the audience started screaming as it appeared parts of the ceiling caved in.
Some of the injured were taken to hospital on board London buses as the emergency services dealt with the incident on Shaftesbury Avenue in the heart of the capital.
Most were discharged shortly afterwards, having been mainly treated for cuts and bruises.
Mr Johnson said the response had been “exemplary”, adding: “I would stress that, although it is too early to say what caused this collapse, and whilst this was a serious incident, London’s world-renowned Theatreland is open for business and thousands of theatre-goers will rightly be out and about tonight and over the weekend.
“Westminster City Council and the Society of London Theatre have assured me that all safety checks for the West End’s historic theatres are up to date but, as a precaution, further checks have already started and will continue throughout the day.”
A Scotland Yard spokesman said they had ruled out criminal involvement and the investigation into what happened will be handled by the council.
Nicola Aiken, the council’s cabinet member for community protection, confirmed the theatre’s health and safety checks were “up to date”.
She said: “Each historic theatre is unique and we have no reason to believe this is other than an isolated incident.
“We have confirmed today with the Society of London Theatre that all theatres’ safety checks are up to date; however, as a precaution, all historic theatres are carrying out further safety checks today.”