Theatre evacuated after pantomime fairy's smoky entrance

When pantomime fairy Lusia Gallagher appeared on stage accompanied by a bang, a puff of smoke and a flash of lights – there was an extra sound effect she hadn't rehearsed.

As she made her grand entrance at the Dormston Mill Theatre in Sedgley, the 43-year-old performer set off the fire alarms causing the building to be evacuated.

Both the cast and the 320-strong audience were forced to leave the theatre and wait in the car park until they were given the all clear to return.

Click on the image one right to see more panto pictures.

But the age-old adage "the show must go on" certainly proved true for the group, who refused to let the fire alarms ruin their performance.

The theatre was evacuated just before the end of the first half of Jack and the Beanstalk and the performers from the Rainbow Pantomime Group finished their routines for the first half of the show in the car park.

To keep everyone entertained the Black Country group sang songs from the show including a rendition of Lady Ga Ga's Born This Way.

After around half an hour, the audience – including groups of brownies and scouts – was allowed to return to their seats to watch the second half.

Members said that normally two air vents above the stage would have helped to clear the smoke created by the pyrotechnics but the key for the control panel used to turn them on was missing and could not be found in time for the group's debut performance.

But it has now been located and future performances are expected to run without a hitch.

There hadn't been a problem in rehearsals because a smaller amount of smoke had been used.

Youth worker Mrs Gallagher, from Wolverhampton, said none of the cast had realised the smoke alarm had gone off until the safety curtain started to come down.

"We didn't know what was happening until we saw the curtain lowering and one of the stage hands told us we needed to get off the stage.

"We couldn't hear the smoke alarm because of the music. I did think there was a lot of smoke but the pyrotechnics always make me jump when they go bang so I didn't think anything of it. When we got outside, we decided that because we were only one song away from the interval we should finish the first half in the car park.

"Everybody started singing and dancing, I think the audience really enjoyed it. It's the first time I have set a smoke alarm off and will hopefully be the last time. We were not going to let it stop us from performing," said Mrs Gallager, whose 15-year-old daughter Shannon is also performing in the pantomime.

Ellie Drew, aged 11, was watching Jack and the Beanstalk on Sunday with members of her guide group, who meet on Wednesday nights at St John's Church, Parkfields, Wolverhampton.

Ellie, a pupil at Woodfield Junior School in Penn, said: "There was too much smoke when the fairy came on stage and the fire alarms went off.

"The producer came on stage and said everyone would have to go outside.

"But then the show carried on in the car park until it was okay to go back inside again. All the cast were singing and dancing and everyone was clapping along. They were doing a routine to Lady Ga Ga's Born this Way, which was really funny.

"It was a brilliant panto and the fire alarm made it even more exciting. It didn't spoil it at all."

Rainbow group member Dora Wooldridge said: "When the alarm went off we felt very concerned for everyone's safety as there could have been a fire, so we got everyone out as quickly as possible. The staff at the theatre were brilliant and I think everyone had a good time while they were waiting outside. It's not the best way to start the run but these things happen."

This is the 20th show staged by the Sedgley-based group, which has more than 70 members from areas including Wednesfield, Wombourne and Dudley.

It runs every night at 7.30pm until Saturday. For tickets call 01902 894472.