More than 1,000 people evacuated from West End theatre during Les Miserables performance over electrical safety issue

 
Incident: the scene on Shaftesbury Avenue this evening (Picture: Twitter/Simon Newby/ Katie Beth)
Standard Reporter4 January 2015

Emergency services evacuated more than 1,000 people from one of London's most popular West End theatres after a piece of electrical equipment overheated.

The incident occurred during a matinee performance of Les Miserables at the Queen's Theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue.

The cast are also belived to have been evacuated along with the audience as a precaution.

A spokeswoman for London Fire Brigade (LFB) 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."

Audience members said on Twitter that they experienced a black out half-way through the show.

Grace Perry tweeted: "Half way through watching a play and the whole of Shaftesbury avenue decides to have a powercut. Brill"

She added that after being evacuated the cast, who were still in costume, were helping by "just wondering round giving people directions".

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, according to the show's website.

This year it will celebrate its 30th anniversary in London.

Additional reporting by the Press Association

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