LONDON — More than 80 people were hurt, four seriously, in a ceiling collapse at the Apollo Theatre here on Dec. 19. The 775-capacity theatre, which first opened in 1901, was nearly full when the ceiling fell a little after 8 p.m., according to reports. The staged production, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, had been underway for about 40 minutes when it was halted amid the fallen debris and dust.
Although the accident involved “no criminal act,” according to an initial assessment by law enforcement officials, legal experts speculated that the venue’s owner, Nimax Theatres, could be on the hook for significant damages from liability. Early speculation was that seeping water might have been a factor in weakening the support for the venue’s ornate plaster ceiling. Nimax also owns the Duchess, Garrick, Lyric, Palace and Vaudeville Theatres.
Of an estimated 720 people in the theatre at the time, 85 were injured, four seriously. Of the 79 treated by ambulance medics, 56 were taken to local hospitals with head and back injuries, cuts and scrapes and, in some cases, breathing difficulties.
The portion of the ceiling that fell was significant enough to bring down part of a balcony as well. Most of the injured were “walking wounded” and made it out of the theatre with minimal assistance but three people were trapped beneath fallen debris and had to be rescued by firefighters.
The Apollo is one of close to 50 theaters in London’s West End. More than half of them are at least 90 years old. All are required to undergo regular inspection for structural safety, according to the Society of London Theatre, which represents London’s theater industry, which noted that “incidents like last night are extremely rare.”
