Apollo Theater Ceiling Collapse Injures 80

A portion of the Apollo Theater ceiling collapsed Thursday night during a show and 80 people were injured including seven people who were seriously injuries.  The theater is located in London and opened over a century ago in 1901.  A 33 by 33 foot section of the roof collapsed during a performance of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in Nighttime.” Officials estimate there were 720 people seeing the show at the time of the incident and say that many more people could have been injured.  Part of the theater balconies also fell when the ceiling caved in.

On Friday, London police stated that the ceiling collapse was not a criminal act and they are continuing to investigate what caused the incident.  The Westminster City Council requires all historic theaters to undergo a thorough structural inspection every three years.  Some theatergoers believe that the heavy rain London was experiencing caused the roof to collapse.  London Mayor Boris Johnson made a public statement to ensure that London theaters are safe and that people should not be afraid to attend other shows around the city.  Nica Burns, the co-owner of Nimax Theaters, the company that owns the Apollo Theater, has spoken in the past about the difficulties of maintaining the Apollo Theater.  The theater sits on a tributary of the Fleet River and they need to pump water out from the theater continuously.  The company spent roughly £2.5 million in upgrades to the Theater when they purchased it in 2005.  The Theatres Trust continues to investigate the cause of the collapse and check to make sure all other London theaters are safe.