London's Piccadilly Theatre to Reopen to the Public Following Ceiling Collapse

Following the ceiling collapsed during a performance of Death of a Salesman at London's Piccadilly Theatre last night, Westminster City Council, having conducted an investigation into the incident that occurred on Wednesday night at the Piccadilly theatre, confirmed today that the incident was caused by a localised water leak. It has deemed the venue safe for use and granted permission to reopen the theatre to the public, provided the affected area is covered and off-limits until repairs are completed.

It's their intention to resume performances from Mon 11 November.

All venues are inspected annually, in compliance with safety regulations and the Piccadilly Theatre last underwent a stringent annual safety check in February 2019. The Piccadilly Theatre is also currently undergoing a multi-million pound modernisation and improvement programme.

"We are sorry that the incident on Wednesday night has caused concern and disappointment to theatre-goers. We want to thank our audiences, cast, staff, the emergency services, the theatre community and the authorities for their support following the incident..." ATG said in a statement.

Following the incident at the Piccadilly Theatre last night (Wednesday 6 November 2019), the production of Death of a Salesman will go ahead with three special, scratch performances of the play at the Young Vic theatre.

These will take place tomorrow night, Friday 8 November, and a matinee and evening performance on Saturday 9 November.

The performances at the Piccadilly Theatre for the rest of the week have been cancelled.

Wendell Pierce said: "First, I hope those injured last night in the incident are recovered and healing. Their well-being is the most important thing. I am also so grateful that the Death of a Salesman company is able to continue performances of Arthur Miller's great play. The nightly audience response has been overwhelming, and I would like to thank the Young Vic for enabling us to continue on this special journey. In the time-honoured tradition of the theatre, the show most go on".

Ticket holders for the cancelled performances this week will be contacted to make arrangements regarding these performances at the Young Vic.

Theatre attendees reported on social media that water came down from the ceiling, followed by the collapse. Ushers evacuated the building and performers from the production ensured that everyone was okay. Reports indicate some minor injuries.

The Police noted in a statement everyone had been successfully evacuated of the building, and reported minor injuries. Additionally, they noted road closures are currently in effect. Executives from ATG and Elliot Harper Productions arrived to assess the damage.

Last night, star of Death of a Salesman Wendell Pierce offered his apologies to audience members, and hoped they'd return to see the play another time.