LONDON, Jan 4: Emergency services evacuated some 1,200 people from a renowned London theatre during a matinee performance of the world’s longest musical, Les Miserables, as the building’s electrical equipment overheated.
The audience and the cast of Les Miserables at the popular Queen’s Theatre in central London pour out into the street minutes into the performance over fire safety fears last evening.
Fire crews were called to the spot and the building was evacuated as a precaution after the news of a fire spread.
Cast members were seen in the streets – still wearing their full costumes.
Sophie Raworth, the BBC news reader, tweeted, “25 minutes in to Les Miserables and the music stops abruptly, Queens theatre evacuated, fire engines here.”
“According to a fireman there’s a ‘smoking electrical room’ in the theatre. Waiting for power company,” she said.
A spokeswoman for London Fire Brigade said, “There has been no fire but a transformer in part of the threatre has overheated. The auditorium itself has not been affected.”
“Two fire engines are on standby to oversee work by the UK Power Network. Around 1,200 persons had already been evacuated as a precaution before the arrival of the crews,” she said.
The London production of Les Miserables is the world’s longest running musical where it played 7,602 performances at the Palace Theatre before transferring to the Queen’s Theatre where it opened in April 2004.
This year it will celebrate its 30th anniversary in London. (PTI)
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