Fire on stage interrupts Les Mis performance

A performance of Les Misérables at Wales Millennium Centre was interrupted after part of the scenery was accidentally set on fire.

According to eye-witness accounts on social media, one of the barricades was set alight as a cast member climbed over it holding a flaming torch.

The show on December 16 was paused for eight minutes while staff dealt with the incident, a spokeswoman for the venue said.

Audience member Helena Williams posted on Twitter: “Well that was exciting. My first ever Les Misérables and Javert climbs over the barricade with a flaming torch and sets fire to it. Not part of the show.

“Cue fire extinguisher, rapid exit of corpses and lowering of safety curtain.”

Was so engrossed in Les Misérables tonight, I thought the fire was part of the show…until all the dead bodies started running off set! Superb performance #lovesamusical pic.twitter.com/tywCaI0kte

— Sionz (@x_Sionz_x) December 16, 2019

Twitter user Sionz said: “Was so engrossed in Les Misérables tonight, I thought the fire was part of the show… until all the dead bodies started running off set! Superb performance.”

Another audience member, John Watson, added: “Very enjoyable like you so engrossed I didn’t notice the fire till they came out with the extinguisher. Loved the way [Gavroche] just lay there when the rest had fled.”

Very enjoyable like you so engrossed I didn’t notice the fire till they came out with the extinguisher. Loved the way Gaveroche (spelling) just lay there when the rest had fled.

— John Watson (@JohnW102) December 16, 2019

A statement from Wales Millennium Centre confirmed the show was stopped due to a “small contained incident on stage”.

It added: “We stopped the show in order to follow our normal safety procedures and the show was resumed a few minutes later.”

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