‘Water was coming through the ceiling’: Ex-Norfolk journalist describes theatre roof collapse

Over a thousand theatregoers were evacuated when the roof collapsed. Picture: PA (Image: Archant)

Former EDP and Norwich Evening News journalist Martin George was one of over a thousand theatre goers at a performance at the Piccadilly Theatre in London's West End when the roof caved in.

Mr George had been watching Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman on Wednesday evening before it was interrupted by a section of plaster crashing into the auditorium.

Speaking to the Evening Standard, the 41-year-old described the shock from the audience as the plaster fell through.

He said: "As the minutes passed, the dripping became more frequent and it sounded like more water was coming through the ceiling, causing a few people to get up and move.

"The sound eventually got so loud that we stood up and started to leave, as we were wondering what was going to happen.

"Then, as we stood up, this huge chunk of ceiling, about three to four metres across, crashed down."

He added audience members were screaming.

Several members of the audience suffered minor injuries.

The venue, on Denman Street, was attended by the Met Police at around 8pm and the London Fire Brigade was also on the scene.

Mr George worked for the EDP and Norwich Evening News as Dereham reporter and education correspondent between 2012 and 2016.