Shakespeare’s Globe was thrown into chaos last night when a firework from a nearby display crashed into the iconic theatre during a performance. The audience at the Globe had to make a swift exit during the climax of Antony and Cleopatra at about 10pm on Wednesday, August 7, as a rogue red firework from a celebration on the Thames landed inside the historic venue.
As the play approached its conclusion, the sky above was suddenly illuminated by fireworks. One of them veered off course towards the Globe’s standing area, causing a smell of smoke but thankfully missing the crowd.
The unexpected pyrotechnics are thought to have been set off by football supporters marking the anniversary of an Algerian football club’s founding. Social media was ablaze with footage of the fiery spectacle, visible across central London with plumes of red smoke, reports the Mirror.
Mark Johnson, a Tooting resident who witnessed the incident while watching the Shakespearean drama, described it as a “miracle” that no one was hurt. He recounted the confusion in the theatre, saying, “It was really confusing. It felt like it was near the end of the performance when we saw bright red lights in the sky. Most of the audience looked up and we saw fireworks and there was a general sense of confusion. Even the actors and actresses looked up,” in his statement to the Mail.
Following the incident, the play was halted, and staff ushered attendees to the basement for safety, where they stayed for approximately 20 minutes before being allowed to leave. The performance was suddenly halted as a message flashed on the stage during the evacuation: “Unfortunately it is necessary to end the performance. Please exit the theatre following direction from our stewarding team. The ticketing team will process refunds as soon as possible and contact you if necessary.”
It’s believed that football fans were behind the fireworks, celebrating the anniversary of the founding of Mouloudia Club d’Alger in Algeria on August 7, 1921. Not only did London witness the disturbances, but pyrotechnic displays also lit up the skies in Algiers and even Dublin.
Witnesses captured the chaos with Mark Buchanan noting the unsettling occurrence near his Central London flat: “I expect it’s nothing – but a big load of flares just went off Red Dawn style near my flat in Central London.” Meanwhile, Ollie Balm, observing from Croydon, was relieved to realize he wasn’t alone in his observation: “I’m glad someone else saw this. I live all the way over in Croydon and saw 10 or 12 red flares all shoot into the air at the same time nearby the Shard. Thought I was seeing things.”
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