07 November 2023 , 07:42
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A musical performance had to be stopped due to the unruly behaviour of audience members.
Videos shared on social media show a man being escorted out by security at Manchester's Opera House during a performance of new pop show I Should Be So Lucky. Theatre-goers said "it's all kicking off" during the show on Saturday, which had to be stopped for 14 minutes.
The musical is a world premiere production, featuring the hits of producers Stock Aitken and Waterman. It includes classic tunes from the 80s and 90s by artists like Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Rick Astley and Mel and Kim. Kylie herself even makes a virtual appearance in the show as a magical fairy in a mirror. However, on Saturday the drama was happening off stage rather than on it.
During the performance of the Kylie and Jason song 'Especially For You', a woman and a man were asked to leave by security but the man quickly returned to the theatre. Videos captured the chaos as the man shouted about his friend at the front of the stage. The cast was taken off stage while staff dealt with the situation. Audience members were heard shouting "get him out", and cheered as staff tried to escort him out. Witnesses say the man became more aggressive as they attempted to remove him from the theatre, with one saying he was "kicking the doors and shouting".
An audience member, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Manchester Evening News: "It was in the second act when it all started kicking off. The show was stopped for what felt like half an hour. It was chaos. The guy ran to the front AFTER being removed, he ran all the way past security and tried to address the audience shouting 'My friend came here tonight...' then all hell broke loose. They got him out of the doors and that's when he really kicked off, kicking the doors and shouting. It was two men and a woman I saw removed. The whole audience were shouting (when he was at the front), but none of the audience were given any explanation as to what he was saying. The safety curtain came down and it then came over the speakers 'can the audience all remain calm and in your seats'."
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A witness said the show was "fabulous" and continued to be really good after a brief interruption. The Manchester Opera House and the producers of I Should Be So Lucky issued a joint statement, saying disruptive behaviour won't be tolerated. They stated: "On Saturday 4th November there was a 14 minute show stop during the evening performance of I Should Be So Lucky to remove a couple of disruptive audience members."
"The audience members in question left the venue and the show continued as planned with the packed house having a great time. It is important to us that a visit to the theatre is a fantastic experience for all where everybody can fully enjoy the performance on stage. Anyone continuing to show a lack of consideration to their fellow audience members by being disruptive is asked to leave."
I Should Be So Lucky will continue its performances at the historic Opera House until November 25.
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